Singed - The Complete Story
by TheStanfordExperiment
Summary: Finally free of her fears, Elsa has learned to love the life she has as Queen with her family, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf. But a new tale begins when a young stranger wanders into Arendelle. After he saves the kingdom from a natural calamity, he is revealed to be much more than a simple vagabond with a charming smile. Return to the world of Frozen in this thrilling sequel-Singed.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Frozen, or any of its characters.**

Perspective – 3rd Person

Chapter 1 – Stranger in a Changed Land

Snow fell softly in Arendelle, blanketing the streets and trees in a luscious luminescent moonlit glow.

The people had found new adoration of the beauty winter could bring, as it reminded them of their queen. It had it's dangers, of course, but lately winters had seemed less hostile and more welcoming to the villagers, as there were rarely blizzards or bitingly low temperatures.

Though no one knew for sure, many believed it to be the work of her majesty herself, causing earnest, if anonymous, gratitude from the people of Arendelle.

One man was indifferent to the winter, however. Though, to be fair, he himself was not an Arendellian.

Quietly walking through the streets, he gazed upon the famed kingdom as the night sky gleamed with stars. He considered this town to be one of the most cozy and hospitable ones he had seen.

And he had seen many towns.

Those who passed him on the street (there were not many who did…it was _very_ late) couldn't help but stare a moment at his attire. There was nothing out of the ordinary about it, really, but there was a noticeable, well, _lack_ of it. Not to imply the man was immodest, but he bore the clothes of someone walking in spring or fall, not in the middle of winter.

He wore a simple black jacket and red shirt, sleeves rolled up a bit above his elbows. His black trousers (a tad raggedy) were rolled up into his black boots, which again, were relatively ordinary. He wore black gloves on both hands and a belt with several pouches, a simple shortsword hanging from his waist as well.

He had his hood drawn up over his face in a way that veiled it with shadow, save for his mouth and glinting eyes. Had those who passed him by looked closer, they may have been surprised to see they were scarlet red.

The man kept walking, looking for an inn, or a bar, or a stable…or a shed…

He really didn't want to have to sleep in a shed again. The last one had sheep. Smelly sheep.

Luckily, he found a humble-looking inn and bar. He smiled. There was something to be said for humility sometimes. He shook the snow from his clothes and walked inside.

It was mostly empty, thank goodness, save for a few tipsy individuals in the corner. The man walked up to the bar and sat at a stool. The bartender walked over to him, wiping a glass as he did.

"Anything I can get you, mate?", the tap asked.

"That'd be great. Something warm, please.", the man answered.

"Not a problem, hot cider oughta heat those bones'a yours. Though, if I can be frank…" the tap nodded at his clothes, "Maybe some better winter gear would help more."

The man gave a dry laugh, putting some coin on the table. "Probably, yeah. But I'm afraid these clothes are a bit special to me. Well…maybe not exactly special, but…they fit me, y'know?"

The bartender blinked.

"Okay, that sounded weird, I guess. Let me just say there's a reason I only wear this. Better?"

The tap chuckled softly as he went back to the cider. "Good enough, I suppose. Who am I to question a man on why he wears what he wears?" He put the drink down on the table and picked up the coins.

The man picked up the glass and raised it. "Cheers.", he said as he drained the mug.

"Blimey, you really needed that drink huh?"

The man set down the glass and belched. "It's been a long night," he stated.

The tap was about to say something when a loud bang came from the door. Three burly men came in, each yammering at the same time, equally drunk. The biggest one sat next to the man, while the other two leaned in next to him.

The large one belched loudly and said in a slurred voice, "EDDIE! How are you man! Listen, me and my buds here were just walking by and figured that, hey, since you were open, we'd swing by and have a few y'know? Just for kicks!" He laughed loudly while his buddies stupidly joined in.

The tap, or Eddie, crossed his arms and sighed loudly. He looked at the large man and said, "Floyd, I'm gonna have to ask for cash up front this time. You and your boys stiffed me three times in the last two weeks."

"Oh, c'mon, Eddie, man! Do me *hic*, do me a favor, huh? I left my wallet at home, yeah?" (the two others sniggered)

Eddie was not amused. "Then I'll wait for you to get it. No cash comes out, no corks pop out."

Floyd looked at Eddie. He leaned in, slowly and surely.

"See, Eddie, the thing is, I REALLY don't want to go home, cuz as soon as I do, the missus will be on me like stink on a sheep" (the hooded man gave a small shudder) "and will never let me hear the end of it. So, ah, heh, I'm gonna need my drink now."

He stood up. "Unless there's a problem?"

Eddie looked at the large man. He looked at the two others. Then he sighed again, looked down, and got out a bottle.

"There we go! Ha! Knew you'd come through Eddie!" the large man laughed.

"That's a nice name, Eddie."

The large man turned to look at the hooded man sitting next to him. He looked like he had just realized there _was_ someone sitting next to him.

"Not often i hear someone wit your accent have a name like that. Is it short for Edward? Edgar? Eduardo?", the hooded man inquired.

Eddie looked a bit confused at the man's interest. "It's…uh…just Eddie. Mum liked it so much she decided just to go with that."

"Really?" the stranger replied. "Wow, that doesn't happen to often huh? It suits you though."

The large man cleared his throat loudly, producing a sound that sounded like a frog that swallowed a couple marbles. "About that drink, Ed…let's get a move on, huh?"

"I'm going, I'm going." Ed replied, visibly angry.

"Y'know, if you know this guy's name, maybe you should be paying for the drink."

The large man once again turned on the stranger. "How about you worry about yourself, bud, huh? I'm just looking for a drink."

"And Eddie here's just looking for some payment, is all. Can't a man receive a fair pay for fair work?"

"I'll say it again, mind your own business."

"I would, but It's hard to ignore you when you shout like a walrus and smell like garbage."

CLATTER

The large man was on his feet. "I've had a long night", he said.

"Join the club." Replied the stranger, in a more dangerous tone.

"Who the hell do you think you are, anyway? Calling me out like this, what is it you're looking for exactly, huh? A bloody nose?"

The stranger turned around at last and looked the large man straight in the eyes. "I want you to pay the bartender." He said, with a trace of hardness.

Had the large man not been so tipsy, he may have noticed the scarlet eyes blazing. But he could only see one thing…how young the outline of the man's face was, that of some one no more than 25.

"You're just a KID! Pfft! Acting all tough and biiiig, what, you thought you might try to be a real man, huh? Try to play with the big boys? Well, I got news for you, you're better off going home to yer mommy and yer daddy and-"

SLAM

The man, or rather kid, had slammed his palm on the counter. As he lifted it, Eddie saw that more money lay underneath.

"What…uh…what's that for?"

"It's for your door."

Eddie blinked again. "But…the doors fine-"

He didn't finish.

Then again, one tends to lose their train of thought when a 400 pound man is thrown by a 20-something boy across a bar and through a mahogany door.

CRASH

A cold draft entered the room through the opening. The stranger turned on his heels and stared maliciously at the two other gentlemen, whose faces had turned as white as the falling snow. They hustled out of the bar.

Eddie breathed sharply. "How…I mean…wha…" He closed his mouth again as the boy sat down. Looking at him, he was shocked to see that his eyes, glinting through the shadow covering his face, were blazing, like they were on fire.

"I don't think they'll come back for a while."

"Yeah, me neither. But…neither is anyone else with that draft coming in, mate." Eddie replied, somewhat accusingly.

The boy looked at the empty door, then looked at Eddie again. The fire in his eyes went out. Then he put another wad of money on the counter.

"You already paid for the door."

"I know, Eddie. This is for you to stay quiet."

Eddie was about to ask about what, then once again had to stop speaking as he saw fire burst from the boy's gloved hands, seeking the fireplace and lighting a beautiful fire that, even at his distance, Eddie could feel washing over him, driving away the cold.

The boy turned to look at Eddie. He gave a small smile.

Eddie took the money and put it in his pocket.

"I needed a new door anyway."

The boy smiled again and started to walk out.

"Wait!"

The boy turned again.

"Maybe…maybe…I mean if you have powers like that…maybe you should see the Queen?"

The boy laughed ruefully. "Trust me, royalty doesn't take kindly to this sort of thing. "

This time it was Eddie's turn to smile. "Trust _me_. You're gonna want to speak to this one, lad."

End Chapter One


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note – I am truly humbled by the response I have received in the first 12 hours of my posting of Singed. **

**As a newcomer to this site, I was simply looking for a way to put down my thoughts on the movie. I did not expect to receive the reviews, follows and favorites that I did. **

**I will continue writing Singed to the best of my ability, though I ask for your patience at times. **

**Again, thank you all.**

**As per the norm, I do not own Frozen, nor any of its characters.**

Chapter 2 – The Warm Winter Morning

Elsa couldn't remember the last time she had slept so soundly. Well, the last time before her coronation, anyway.

She slowly opened her eyes, peering through the still-lingering sleep around at her room. Rising slowly to sit up in her bed, she took a moment to marvel at how comforting the room seemed to be to her now.

Of course, most people find their rooms to be their one place of solace, but Elsa had spent almost every day of her life in this room, and it had started to feel like a prison. Again, however, recent events had changed that.

It was, for a Queen, a very simple room, with a large window next to her bed, a vanity across from the door, a wardrobe, and a few designs she had created with her magic hanging around the room. Though Anna had taken it upon herself to add a few paintings, mostly those of green fields and sunlight. Elsa couldn't help but feel these clashed a bit with her character, but she relented, and couldn't help but notice they did brighten up the room.

She flopped back into bed, a small smile on her face growing as she let out a relieved laugh. The simple thought of how things used to be compared to how they were now was almost amazing to her. She had been afraid to leave her room, was cut off from Anna and the citizens of Arendelle, and terrified of the power within her.

Now she and Anna were nigh-inseparable, her subjects adored her, and she found new beauty within her magic.

It was something out of a fairy tale. Things had changed so much.

BANG BANG BANG BANG

…Well…maybe not _everything…_

"Elsa! It's morning! Kai made us breakfast! It's your favorite, chocolate chip pancakes and ham!" Anna's voice was as energetic as her knocking.

Elsa couldn't help but roll her eyes at her sister. "That's YOUR favorite, Anna."

"Well, it should be everybody's! Come on, you have a big day anyway! You need some energy!"

_Maybe I could borrow some from you_, Elsa remarked silently, shaking her head and rolling off her bed.

Anna was right about one thing, though. It was a big day. Today Elsa had promised her Kingdom a display of her magic, for the marking of the middle of winter.

She looked out the window and looked fondly out at the town. Their love of winter had certainly increased in recent months. Elsa had been humbled, even hesitant when she received the request for a demonstration of her abilities, but, as usual, Anna had insisted that it was a good thing to do, and they'd love her for it.

And so, Elsa consented, and had been practicing for the last few weeks in preparation. Anna had been delighted to see her working so hard.

BANG BANG BANG

Jarring Elsa out her thoughts, Anna again called out to her.

"I'm getting ready, Anna! For goodness' sake!" Elsa said exasperatedly.

"Sorry."

Elsa conjured a simple a simple dress for herself and reeled in her somewhat-appalling bedhead. When she exited the room, Anna was waiting in her favorite green dress, and appeared as though she was about to either explode from excitement or had a very bad case of indigestion.

Elsa braced herself. "Yes, Anna?"

"It's today!" Anna squealed. She grabbed Elsa's hands and started jumping. "You're gonna be amazing! Oh, Elsa, I'm so happy for you!"

"Th-thank-thank y-Thanks." Elsa finally managed through Anna's bouncing. She wondered how Kristoff put up with this so well, smiling.

Then a thought occurred to her.

"Wait…Anna?"

"Yes?"

"Didn't you say that you were taking Kristoff out for breakfast today? At that small café you were talking about the other day? You couldn't stop saying how excited you were?"

Anna seemed puzzled.

Elsa looked at her coaxingly, like an owner asking a dog for a bone back. "Remember? You said you were meeting him at about…" she glanced at the clock, "…now?"

Anna again looked confused.

Then slowly, but surely, her face collapsed inward into a look of pure shock.

"I…I forgot…" she whispered.

"You what?"

"I forgot! I…oh man…I…I was so excited for you today and I…oh god, I look terrible and he's waiting right now…Elsa what do I do?!"

"Anna…"

"How could I forget!" Anna said in anguish "He'll never forgive me! I'm a terrible girlfriend!"

"Anna!"

"I'll just have to pretend like I was eaten by a giant monster and that I had to fight my way out and explain to Kristoff why that's what took so long and-"

Elsa clapped both her hands around Anna's face, effectively shutting her up. "Anna."

"Yesh?"

"Get dressed, comb your hair, and go down to the café. Kristoff will forgive you. I know that, you know that."

Anna took a second to process that, then nodded. "Okay. I undershtand."

And she took off. Then ran right back and gave Elsa a huge hug. "Thanks, Elsa!"

And she sprinted away once again.

Elsa took a moment to compose herself. She often was a bit disheveled when Hurricane Anna came around.

Elsa still smiled nonetheless. She wouldn't trade any moment spent with her for anything.

"Your majesty?"

Kai entered the hallway from the dining room. "Perhaps you'd like some breakfast?"

"I'd love some, thanks." She entered the room.

Kai looked around. "I was under the impression that Princess Anna would be joining us."

"Ah, yes. Well, she unfortunately had business to attend to." Elsa smirked.

Kai frowned. "And after she asked me to make her favorite…"

"Oh come on, Kai. It certainly won't go to waste." Chocolate was chocolate, after all.

As she began eating, Kai took out a sheet of paper.

"Anything happen the last few days?" Elsa inquired.

"Nothing serious your majesty. Weselton still requests another trade agreement, and I replied with the same answer." Kai answered, the annoyance in his eyes showing.

"Aside from that, preparations for your festival are running smoothly," (Elsa felt a small tightness in her stomach) "and altogether, it's been a stellar week. Ah…"

Elsa looked up, wiping a bit of ham from her cheek with a napkin. "What?"

Kai nodded. "Its nothing huge. It appears there was a small skirmish at a local bar and inn. A man was thrown through a door. The owner was asked about it, but he simply said the man was leaning to heavily against it."

Elsa raised her eyebrows. "Really? His door's broken and he said nothing?"

"He didn't appear too fazed by it. Said his fireplace was plenty to keep people warm."

Elsa gave him a skeptical look.

"I know, I thought the same. But," he closed the sheet, "it _is_ his bar. And he runs it how he wants. No one else was hurt, and the man was only had minor injuries. Nothing to worry about."

Elsa pondered a moment, then stood up. "Very well. Thank you Kai. Now I should get ready for my demonstration."

Kai smiled warmly. "I'm sure it will be a sight to behold, your majesty."

Elsa smiled back, if a bit nervously, and looked out the window again.

Had she been looking at a certain lamppost, she would have seen a young, hooded man take a poster off a wall, announcing the Queen's festival. But even then, there was no way she could have seen the shock in his scarlet eyes.

End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

**Truthfully, I do not own Frozen.**

Chapter 3 - The Queen's Festival

The hooded boy was pacing around in an alleyway.

Thoughts and emotions crashed together, turning his mind to a storm of confusion.

_There's another?_

_There can't be!_

_Well, why not? There's not exactly a lot of LOGIC to what we have…_

The boy shook himself, expelling the imaginary voices. He stared at the poster, heralding the "Queen's Festival", announcing that the Queen was going to show her "spectacular control of ice and snow."

He had to admit, it sounded pretty cool.

_Ha_, he said to himself. _Sounded cool. Nice one._

Again, he shook himself. He had no idea what to do. Should he talk to her? God knows, it had been a while since he had some common ground with anyone. But at the same time, he knew he had to keep a low profile.

But…there was another like him. Eddie's words came back to him about seeing the queen.

He looked at his hand and produced a small fire, staring at it solemnly.

_Okay_, he said to himself, _let's watch this festival. See how much of this is true_.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Elsa was sweating. It was a very strange sensation for her, since her body heat was normally below the temperature needed to sweat. However, as she had realized in recent weeks, the use of her powers excessively was tiring.

Excessive was a bit of an understatement, to be honest. She had been working like a dog, perfecting her act for tonight. She wanted it to be the best show it could possibly be. For her, for Anna, for her people.

"And maybe for some cute boys!" Anna had giggled earlier.

Elsa gave her a dry look. "I am not doing this for a date, Anna."

"Okay, okay. But you are gonna be amazing, you know that? And you can be sure some men are going to come knocking after they see what you can do." Anna danced her eyebrows.

Elsa blushed a bit, which, unfortunately, was very noticeable on her otherwise paler face. "Thanks for the flirting advice, but I really would like to concentrate on the demonstration itself."

"Oh, I wasn't talking about flirting advice!" Anna laughed, dancing away. "That comes later!" she called with the small teasing tone in her voice that always managed to push Elsa's buttons.

Snapping back to reality, Elsa gazed upon her creation. It was, in her eyes, incredible. Which probably meant it would be utterly magnificent to those watching, as she was quite humble.

All there was left to do was wait.

The hard part.

After about three hours, countless pacing, and several pep talks from Anna, Elsa stepped out into the night, walking down a luscious blue carpet to her stage in the middle of the town.

She had steeled her nerves countless times.

Now she wished she steeled them countless times more.

The town was a gorgeous display of color and winter. Glowing tinsel gleamed from every roof, ornaments hung from every lamppost, and colored candles glowed along every road.

They really spared no expense, Elsa thought, completely in awe.

As she walked down the carpet, she started her act a bit early, and conjured herself a gorgeous formal dress, similar to the one she made in her ice castle. This one was much more beautiful, however, as it shone with stones of ice that appeared like sapphires, and white circles that looked like diamonds. Her loose braid shone like the snowy streets bathed in moonlight. All who gazed upon her couldn't stop. Her beauty was that of a goddess.

The hooded boy was on a rooftop, gazing down at the Queen, slowly following her as she walked. He was perhaps the most spellbound. He was surprised enough by her abilities. He never anticipated her…well…looks.

He wasn't so sure about speaking to her now. He didn't think he _could_.

As the Queen stopped on her stage in the center of town, the entire kingdom burst into applause, loudest of which, noted the boy, was a young redhead with pigtails, simply bursting with compliments for the Queen. A sister, he guessed. She sat next to a blond mountain man, tall and burly, who seemed just as proud as the redhead next to him.

All were quiet, however when the Queen raised her hands.

Blue magic shot out from them, creating amazing sculptures of ice in seconds, those of animals, people, intricate designs and snowflakes. The audience cheered at the amazing statues around them.

She then pointed her hands skyward and shot a ball of blue magic into the air, which exploded and produced a magnificent symbol, that of Arendelle, which then swirled together and returned to the ground, where it left an imprint of ice in the shape of the castle.

The crowd was overwhelmed. They couldn't get enough. The statues, designs, and the castle left them breathless from cheering.

She then erased all of the art with a flick of her hand. The crowd grew ever more silent.

Seeing the concentration on her face, the boy braced himself.

It wasn't enough.

There was a flash of blue, and two beautiful birds shot out of her hands, as if they were alive, tails streaming with glittering snow. They flew around the audience, did tricks and amazing aerial moves, then spiraled around each other upwards until they burst into snow, which softly rained down upon the town.

Finally, Elsa raised her hands suddenly, creating a massive ice tree behind her, decorated with hundreds of little ice ornaments.

Complete silence. The Queen looked around, appearing very nervous.

Then the night exploded with applause, cheers, "encores" and whoops. The entire audience was on it's feet, giving rapturous thanks to their beloved queen. The redhead and her blond friend ran over to the Queen, who appeared to have tears in her eyes. The redhead nearly tackled her in a hug, while, ironically, the burly blonde gently held them both in a group hug.

The hooded boy could look only at the Queen, though. Seeing the amazement and gratitude on her face as she waved back at the crowd, he felt a glowing warmth inside him, which he knew had nothing to do with his own powers.

The crowd was still cheering, growing into a loud rumble.

_Wait_…

The boy's brow wrinkled in confusion as he listened closer. The rumble was coming from a different direction. Warily, he looked in the opposite direction of the festival and gazed up towards the mountains in the distance.

His heart all but stopped.

The Queen had done too good a job. The cheers of her people had released an enormous Avalanche, hurtling towards the town.

End of Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks again to those taking time to review my work. It's the greatest motivator. And for those wondering about Olaf, don't worry. I just didn't think he should be included just yet.**

**Honestly, I do not own Frozen.**

**-TheStanfordExperiment**

Chapter 4 – Think Fast!

_Okay_, said the hooded boy to himself. _Situation_.

_All of the kingdom in one place._

_Giant pile of white death traveling about 100 kilometers an hour towards it._

_Queen just used all of her powers for a festival._

_Conclusion – Arendelle is about to become a snow globe._

The boy thought quickly to himself, trying to find options, anything, that could stop the avalanche. No one in town had seemed to notice yet, the celebration was still loud.

He looked at all the people. Then he looked at the snow. Then he looked at his hands.

He groaned out loud. So much for a low profile.

The boy blasted fire out of his feet and flew about 40 feet toward the other side of the city, where the avalanche charged toward. Upon landing, he navigated across the rooftops using the skills he'd taught himself in a life on the run.

Jumping across gaps, vaulting over gates, he quickly approached the large lake between the mountain and the kingdom. He wished it wasn't frozen at the surface. It would have stopped at least some of the snow.

Looking back at Arendelle, he realized if he failed, the first thing to be demolished would be the castle.

No pressure.

He ran out into the lake, taking care not to slip. Reaching the center, he looked up at the avalanche. It's roar was growing louder and louder. Over the sound of the collapsing snow, he thought he heard screams.

Guess they've finally taken a hint, he noted.

He stared up again at the snow. Then he closed his eyes, balling his fists. He spread his feet and bent his knees, crouching low to the ground, his arms stretched out to his sides as he started to breathe loudly. The ice around him melted, and the water began to boil and froth as fire coursed through his veins, causing his arms to light like fire. His clothes were illuminated with a fiery design and the gloves over his hands burnt away.

The water all across the fjord began to steam, boiling around him. The avalanche came closer…closer…closer…

_Wait_, he said to himself. _Wait for it….not yet…_

The avalanche was about to reach the frozen lake.

He opened his eyes. They blazed like the sun.

_Now_.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

"Captain! What's the situation?!"

"Your majesty! It's…it's an avalanche! The likes of which I've never seen!"

Elsa's face was racked with terror. "Will it reach us?!" she yelled.

The captain gave her a terrified look. "My lady…it will do more than reach us."

Elsa's face went paler than the snow. Without another word she ran in the direction of the roaring snow.

"Elsa! Wait!"

Anna had grabbed her from behind.

"Anna, what are-? Let me go, now!"

"Elsa, you just used your powers like crazy! There's nothing you can do!"

"Absolutely NOT! I'm the Queen, Anna! I will not let that avalanche reach us!"

"We have to find shelter!" Anna was now sobbing, "If you go now, you'll only get yourself killed!"

"I have to try!"

"Not when it's for nothing!"

"Anna, _let me go_!" screamed Elsa. She tried to conjure a winter gust, some form of barricade, a stick for heaven's sake, but despite her efforts her powers had simply been used too much, and would not be near strong enough to barricade the city.

So she stopped and looked at Anna. Her eyes had tears running down them.

Elsa felt tears in hers as well. She hugged Anna tightly.

"Where do we go?" she choked out.

"The South part of the city!" Kristoff shouted "It'll receive the least amount of damage from the avalanche!"

Elsa nodded hollowly. She let go of Anna and instructed them to run to shelter.

Kristoff whistled for Sven, who came charging down the street. Elsa climbed on the captain's horse while Kristoff and Anna got on Sven. They were about to kick off and run when….

SSSKKKRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

A blinding light engulfed the city.

The captain's horse reared in terror. Sven jumped a foot back. Kristoff yelled in confusion.

Elsa, one arm shielding her eyes from the light, tried to see what exactly was causing it. But it was like looking into the sun, and she realized she'd sooner go blind than figure out what it was by staring at it.

Suddenly an incredibly powerful wind tore through the town. It knocked down signs, ripped off chimneys and nearly blew Elsa off her feet. It probably would have save for Kristoff grabbing her and Anna and forcing them onto the ground for cover.

It went on for about two minutes, the light, the roar and the wind, filling the air, until Elsa thought she'd scream for no other reason than an utter lack of understanding.

Then, as quickly as it started, the light went out.

The Queen blinked several times, her eyes adjusting to the returning darkness of the night. She stood up and looked around.

Signs had been blown off, windows were cracked, some broken, and the beautiful decorations the villagers had put up were on the ground in tatters.

But there was no snow to be seen.

Elsa's eyes widened. There was no snow! Her look of confusion changed to that of elation, and then back to confusion. But how? How could an enormous pile of snow like that possibly be stopped?

She turned to Anna and Kristoff, who were still holding each other tightly, eyes closed.

Elsa coughed loudly.

Anna's eyes shot open as she looked around. She looked at Kristoff, then Elsa, then Kristoff again, then Sven for some reason, then back to Elsa. She slowly said, "Are we not dead?"

Elsa looked at her, still shellshocked. "I…I think so?"

Anna broke free from Kristoff and hugged her again. Elsa unconsciously returned the hug while her mind raced.

This…this just wasn't possible! They should all have been buried alive! Of course, she was happy that wasn't the case, but the sheer improbability of their survival made Elsa worry. What had happened?

"Captain! Take me to the Northern Lake, please."

The captain surely would have, had he not been so busy sobbing as he kissed the ground, thanking the heavens for letting him live.

Elsa huffed vehemently and turned to Sven. "Could you give me a hand?"

Sven made a reassuring type of snort.

"Then let's go. Anna, can you make sure the villagers aren't injured? For all we know, they may be people needing help."

Anna opened her mouth to argue, but Kristoff nudged her. Rubbing her shoulder, Anna reluctantly consented.

Sven kicked off and ran towards the Northern Lake, Elsa on his back.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The hooded boy was soaking wet.

Floating in the middle of the now-completely-melted lake, he gazed up at the night sky, looking at the stars.

He felt like he had just created one, from what his body felt like.

In order to stop the avalanche, the boy had summoned a huge wall of fire, hot enough to evaporate the snow on contact. He didn't know the exact science, but he was sure that you needed a very high temperature to do that. The snow's rapid conversion from solid to gas has created a gale-like wind that had nearly blown him across the kingdom. He had to blast fire from his feet to battle the wind's force.

Now his body was nearly lifeless. The energy it had taken to pull off the feat he just did was enough to keep him like this for at least 24 hours. He only hoped no one would find him in that time.

And also that he wouldn't stop floating.

Suddenly, he sniffed the air, smelling a pungent, yet all-too-familiar smell. His eyes widened.

Before he could react, he heard a splash next to him. He tried to turn his head to see who it was, but even his neck refused to obey him. He could only look up and try to say "Go away" as he felt himself being dragged to shore.

It probably came out like "Gaa-weerhh"

He felt land beneath him at last as his unknown savior flopped him ashore. He heard heavy breathing, but it was that of a woman's…he frowned slightly, trying to crane his neck to see who it was.

Elsa bent over the man's face. "Are you all right? How did this happen?"

The boy opened his mouth. Then closed it. Then, to put it simply, conked out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note – I must admit, I was a bit biased in the design of our mysterious protagonist. Then again, I suppose that's what fanfiction is for. Thanks for the reviews, and feel free to suggest things. Keep it real, though. Let's not be outlandish.**

**-TheStanfordExperiment**

** Once again, I do not own Frozen**

Chapter 5 – The Strangest Nurse

Darkness.

It never really bothered the hooded boy. It was his way of life, almost. It kept him hidden, and in his situation, that's all he needed.

But this was a different kind of darkness. It was the kind he never wanted to remember. He saw flashes of fire and screaming people. It wasn't the darkness of night or shadow.

It was his own darkness.

With a gasp of air the stranger bolted up and clutched his chest, his scarlet eyes the color of blood.

He sat there for a few minutes trying to calm himself down. Eventually, his rapidly beating heart slowed and his hands stopped trembling. He slowly slipped back down into his bed and closed his eyes.

Then opened them again. He was in a bed?

He sat up and looked around. He was in a very nice room, or at least, nice for him. And no sheep! Always a plus.

He got up and looked out the large window. He saw that he was inside the castle of Arendelle. He was also able to see his reflection. They had taken his equipment and sword. He shrugged. He'd be able to get them back, one way or another. They at least had the decency to leave his hood up.

He suddenly recalled the events of the previous night, the avalanche, the fire coursing through his body and…

He took a step back. The Queen. The Queen had pulled him out of the water.

He realized slowly that she was going to want to know about him. He was going to have to explain why he was in the middle of a…well, a crater or melted stuff.

He contemplated his options. He could run. He had done it before, countless times. Sneak out, take his things, by force if necessary, and keep running.

Then he thought about the Queen. How she had helped him, how she had powers like him.

There was a knock at the door. He realized it was now or never. He looked one last time at the window, at escape.

The stranger sighed and walked to answer the door.

Once he opened it however, he saw no one. He gazed down the hallway to his left and right. Was this some kind of prank? He frowned. A bit immature of royalty, to be honest.

"Hi!"

The stranger jumped about five feet back. Looking down, he saw a small snowman.

"I'm Olaf and I like warm…Hmm."

Olaf stopped talking as his head had been kicked across the room. Lying there, decapitated, he had a ponderous look on his face, as if his head being removed was an odd thing indeed.

"It would seem that kicking heads is how we say hello from your home. Okay! Here, hold still, I'll get you…" Olaf's body started forward.

"I wouldn't." The stranger answered warily, taking another step back.

The snowman's body walked over to its head and plopped it back on. "So!" the thing called Olaf said "How are we feeling today?"

The stranger was silent for a moment. "Well…considering I'm talking to a living pile of frozen water…I think I might be either heavily delusional or dead."

Olaf laughed and tut-tutted him. "No, silly, you're okay. We have taken you under our care!" he said in a very fake regal voice, "In the hopes that you may make a full recovery! And also maybe tell us why you were in the middle of a boiling lake."

The stranger looked at him for a minute. "So…you're a living snowman?"

"Yup."

"With moving stick fingers?"

"Yup."

"And your head comes off."

"What?! It does that?!"

The stranger gave him a quizzical look. "Uh yeah, you just…" He decided to leave it.

"Moving on, I suppose the Queen wants to talk to me?"

"Oooo, yeah that's right! She wanted to see you as soon as you woke up!"

"Okay"

An awkward silence followed.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Maybe you ought to tell her I'm awake?"

"Oh! Right! Riiiight! Hang on!" the snowman bounced out of the room.

"Can I also have my stuff back?" The stranger called out after him. No response. Figures.

He couldn't help but feel nervous about meeting the Queen. He still recalled her beauty. And he wasn't exactly accustomed to talking to women…

He wondered about how much he should tell her. Maybe it would be good to get some stuff off his chest.

_Yeah, right_, he thought._ Let's tell the pretty woman you just met all about your bright life. She'll totally understand_.

There was a loud bang as the doors flew open, and on instinct, the stranger braced into a combat position.

"Eek! I'm…I'm sorry! I didn't mean to barge in like that!"

It was the redhead the stranger had seen the other day at the festival hugging the Queen. Slowly he lowered his guard and crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "You could have fooled me." He said in a somewhat teasing manner.

"It's just…we were excited to hear from you and-"

"Anna! How many times did I tell you not to talk to him without me?!"

The Queen herself had now entered the room, and the stranger's heart jumped a bit. She was wearing a much more humble dress, but she was still as beautiful as the night before.

"Sorry, sorry…I thought you were already in here!" the girl named Anna pleaded.

"You passed by me in the hall!" The Queen said in frustration.

The stranger was a bit bemused by this sibling squabble. The Queen seemed to notice, as she cleared her throat and faced him.

"Hello."

The stranger smiled. "Hello."

The Queen took a moment to get a better look at him. He was very well-built, his muscles visible on his arms and chest. He still had his hood up, she saw to her curiosity, and it still veiled his face, aside from his smile and scarlet eyes.

"I…well…I wanted to make sure you were taken care of after the events of last night."

"Yeah. Yeah, no problem, I get it. I appreciate it, by the way. You saving me, I mean. I mean, well, I was floating so I wasn't dying, but if I had stayed that way…" He stopped himself. He always had a small issue of babbling when nervous. Good thing he wasn't often nervous.

The Queen gave a small smile. "It's no trouble."

"I'm Anna, by the way!" Anna interrupted.

"Nice to meet you, Princess Anna."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "How'd you know I was a Princess?"

The stranger gave her a look that said 'seriously?'. "You look a lot like her majesty, here. You also seem very close. So, yeah, I took a hint. Speaking of which, I don't actually know your name yet, my Queen."

Elsa was surprised. "Not from around here?"

"Nah. I travel a lot."

"I believe it. You have the smell of a vagabond on you." Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"Uh…heh. Yeah" _Damn sheep…_

"I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

"Honor to meet the Snow Queen in person, Elsa."

The Queen waited. When the stranger said nothing, she asked, "And yours?"

"Hm?"

"Your name. Please."

"Ah." The stranger had, somehow, not realized that of course she would ask this. But he hadn't said his name in a very long time, to anyone.

"Sorry."

"Sorry? That's an odd name."

"No, no, I mean…I can't."

"Can't what?"

"Tell you my name."

"And why," Elsa said in a more annoyed voice, "Can't I know the name of the man whose life I saved and whose lifeless body I found in a molten lake right in front of where an avalanche should have been?"

She had a point.

He swallowed. _Ah, jeez_.

"It's…it's Ignus. My name is Ignus."

Man, that was a rush. He felt vulnerable for the first time in a while.

Elsa gave a satisfied breath. "Ignus. A pleasant name." He relaxed a bit.

She asked him to sit down. He complied. Anna remained standing, intrigued.

"So, to begin...why were you in my Kingdom?"

"I told you, I travel."

"The one day my festival is held?"

"Lucky, I guess." It was the best explanation he could come up with, as he really did have no intention to crash the party.

The Queen gave him a skeptical look.

"Very well. Why do you hide your face?"

"Sunlight bothers me." Okay, that was a lie.

"To the point of total concealment? Even when indoors?"

"Yup. It's that bad."

The Queen stared more. She wanted to know more about this stranger, Ignus. His appearance, how she found him…she knew there was more. She simply didn't know what yet.

"What happened on the lake when – "

"Your majesty! Your majesty!" The captain who had cried after the avalanche had entered. His sword was drawn.

"Captain? What? What is it?" Elsa was instantly anxious at seeing his weapon drawn.

"Intruders! They've attacked the guards!"

"What?!"

Ignus' eyes looked up sharply at the captain. "Did they have a three white lines, one wavy on their sleeves?"

"Wh-yes! How did you know?" The captain asked, flabbergasted.

Ignus cursed softly. He turned and looked at the queen.

"Can I have my things back _now_?"

End of chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note - Thanks again for the favorites, follows and reviews. Writing action scenes is quite unique, so I hope i did a good job with it. As usual, feel free to drop any feedback, positive or negative.**

**-TheStanfordExperiment**

**As you'd expect, I do not own Frozen.**

Chapter 6 – The Bankmen

Ignus strapped on his sword and tied the rest of his equipment on. He tucked his sleeves into his gloves and pulled out a small club.

Elsa watched him as he readied his weapons. On the whole, he looked very formidable. Yet he still had not revealed why the situation was so desperate, or how he knew these people.

He sheathed the club after inspecting it and looked at her, his eyes lit with determination. Actually…they really looked like they were lit, she noted.

"Okay. Stay here, and don't leave this room until I come back."

"Wait, what?" Elsa blurted. "You can't expect me to let you leave this room without at least explaining yourself a little!"

Ignus let out a frustrated breath. "Your majesty, I'd love to go into the lovely details, but I don't have the time. All you need to know is that they want me. I brought them here, I'll deal with it."

Anna gasped. "You...brought them here? Why?"

"Well, no I didn't BRING them here…they followed me. They've been following me and I was almost positive I had finally given them the slip…"

"Why are they chasing you?" Kristoff asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Reasons. Look, have I not emphasized enough that I don't have time?"

He started for the door, but Elsa stepped in his way.

"That's not enough." She said, her eyes icy.

Ignus looked at her eyes. He felt he could have for a while, but the situation was urgent. He gave her a fierce look. "I am trying to protect you and your family. Move."

"No. I don't need protection. Let me help."

"Your majesty…"

"Who are you? Tell me!"

"Oh, for…" He was wasting equipment with this, but desperate times…

He pulled out a small vial from his pouch and held it to Elsa's nose, slipping the cap off. She was caught off guard and breathed in quickly, getting a full shot of knockout gas. She flopped onto his shoulder, out cold.

Anna and Kristoff were up in a flash. "What did you do?!" yelled Kristoff while Anna ran to Elsa and pulled her off him.

"Relax. It's a sleeping gas, she'll be fine in about twenty minutes. Until then, don't leave this room until I return. If I'm not back by the time she wakes up (he cringed at his cliché), then close the door, lock the windows and wait a half hour. Then you should be fine.

Anna was utterly baffled. "What? Why?"

He turned and looked at her gravely. "Because I'll be dead and their work will be done."

And he sprinted out of the room.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The captain remained behind to guard the trio. Anna put Elsa on the bed and sat next to her. She was snoring, so at least Ignus hadn't lied about that. But she still was angry at his trick.

She couldn't help but wonder what his true motives were. If he was an enemy, he wouldn't have simply knocked out Elsa. But then again, who's to say he didn't run off after he left? Or worse, join the enemies? Maybe he was their scout.

She slapped her forehead. Of course! It made perfect sense!

"You okay there?" Kristoff asked, noticing her red forehead.

"He's totally their scout! He came in to find Elsa and now he's led them straight to us!"

"Whoa whoa, slow down a bit." Kristoff sat next to her and put an arm around her. "We can't be sure of that. He seemed like he was trying to help us. I think he might be ok…not that drugging Elsa was cool!" He added hastily, seeing Anna swell up. "It's just that…Elsa saved his life, right? Why would he almost kill himself trying to meet her?"

"He was obviously faking!"

"What were the chances that Elsa was gonna find him?"

"She…he…" Anna's brain scrambled. "He caused that light! That's what made Anna come to him!"

Kristoff gave her a skeptical look. "Him? I mean, no offense to him, but he seemed kind of…ordinary, aside from his equipment. How could he produce a light like that?"

Anna frowned, truly stumped this time. Sighing sadly, she put one arm around Kristoff and another on Elsa's hand.

Kristoff hugged her softly. "Don't worry. Even if he is lying, I'm here. It's gonna be ok."

Anna smiled.

The Captain looked a bit miffed.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The four intruders silently crept through the halls of the castle, checking every door, each carrying a crossbow in one hand and a unique, yet equally intimidating weapon in the other. They had easily bested the guards of Arendelle, yet not due to the latter's incompetence. These four were trained day in and day out to follow one objective: kill.

Ignus watched them from above, hiding in the rafters, his clothes blending in with the shadows around him. He eyed the four with resentment. These men had tried to kill him many times, each time getting the drop on him.

Well, all that was about to change. Now he had the drop on _them_.

He waited for them to split up. He knew he could take out one fairly quickly, but four at once? Death wish.

He got his chance when one entered a room to his left, splitting off from the other three. Ignus smiled vindictively.

The intruder walked into the bright room, picking up pillows and searching under couches. He looked at the paintings and stuffed animals in disgust, while Ignus silently chuckled.

Anna's room. He was starting to like the girl.

Ignus waited until the guard went to the window, then in a flash, dropped down to the ground and sprinted at the man. The intruder whipped around and raised his crossbow, but Ignus already had a hand on it, the other bringing his small club crashing against the man's temple.

The man groaned in pain and crumpled, dropping his weapons as he slid to the ground. Ignus let out a satisfied grunt.

The intruder looked up at Ignus. His eyes filled with shock and fury. Ignus' eyes narrowed.

"Not so fun when you're being stalked, eh?" he gloated.

"Why..are _you _here?!"

Ignus froze. He grabbed the man's throat and brought him inches to his face. "What does that mean?" he said menacingly.

The intruder smirked, infuriatingly. "We…" he panted "..shall wash clean…the world...from everything…that pollutes it."

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it before." Ignus raised his club.

"EVERYTHING." The man said, eyes glinting with malice.

Ignus' heart stopped.

He remembered the smell after the avalanche.

And he smashed the club against the man's head again. The intruder fell, unconscious.

Ignus stared at him a moment longer, eyes wide with anger and panic.

Then he turned and ran as fast as he could out of the room, towards the one he slept in, where three men with weapons silently approached the door.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Anna was still sitting next to Kristoff and Elsa, waiting. It had been almost twenty minutes. Elsa had started stirring. Despite her doubts about him, she worried about Ignus.

She was distracted from her anxiety, however, when the door burst open and three men with weapons ran in. The captain didn't even have time to react before one of the men hit him with the butt of his sword. Anna screamed and Kristoff jumped up in front of her.

"Back off!" he roared as he charged the first man.

The intruder had not been expecting a six-foot mountain man to attack him, and was caught off guard as Kristoff grabbed his shirt and sank his fist into his gut. The man doubled over, completely winded, while the two others grabbed Kristoff, throwing him to the ground.

"Kristoff!" Anna shouted, grabbing a candlestick and brandishing it furiously at the trio. She swung it at one of them, who almost lazily caught it and pushed Anna away.

"Leave her alone! Or I swear I'll rip you liigghhh-" Kristoff was cut off as a rope was forced around his mouth, gagging him.

Anna tried to get up, but one of the men pushed her down into the chair and tied her hands to it. She tried to kick and bite him, but he deftly dodged all of her pathetic attempts to harm him.

The third man started towards Elsa.

"NO! Leave her alone! Elsa! Wake up! WAKE UP!" screamed Anna in terror.

The man raised his sword and pointed down towards Elsa's heart.

Elsa's eyes weakly opened, looking around the room, then snapped open when she saw the sword above her chest. She gave a small yelp.

Then the man's mask burst into flames.

He screamed and ran from the bed, tearing off the fiery veil as he did, finally succeeding.

The two others whirled around to see Ignus staring at them with his eyes burning like hellfire. He dashed forward and sank his fist into one of the intruder's guts, which, unfortunately, also happened to be the one Kristoff punched.

The man collapsed once again, looking as though he was about to barf a lung. Ignus then turned on the other and delivered a furious kick to his head, which the man barely blocked in time. Grabbing Ignus' foot, he threw him across the room. Ignus landed on his feet and drew his sword.

Anna stared in fear and awe. His sword was ordinary-looking from the hilt down, but the blade was a mixture of colors, giving it the appearance that it was burning. It was both beautiful and terrifying.

Ignus raised it at the two men. "I've been told you weren't expecting me?"

No response.

Ignus shrugged. "Fine then."

He lunged at the first man, beating aside his blade and whacking him in the face with his small club. The man staggered, clutching his face, but still standing. He took a swing, which Ignus parried easily, knocking his blade to the ground. He was about to follow up with another smack with his club when he saw a glint of metal out of the corner of his eye, and raised his sword in time to stop an axe from completely decapitating him. Grunting, he pushed away the axe and backed up, pointing his sword at both men. They slowly walked towards him.

Ignus swallowed in concentration, gripping his weapons tightly. This was going to be very difficult.

Suddenly a pillar of ice erupted from the ground and delivered a teeth-shattering uppercut to one of the men, knocking him out cold. Ignus turned his head to see Elsa's arm raised, her eyes wide in shock at her actions. Seizing the opportunity, Ignus dashed towards the second man, still distracted, and swept around him, hitting him on the back of the head with his club, effectively putting him out like a light.

Kristoff and Anna's mouths were hanging open. Well, Kristoff's would have been had he not been gagged.

Ignus stared at the unconscious bodies around him, panting, then looked at the Captain, who was now stirring.

Ignus snapped several times. "You with us, Captain?"

The Captain sat up, rubbing his head. "Urrrggg…."

"Excellent. Would you mind taking these three men to prison? They tried to kill the Queen. And me, incidentally. Oh, right, there's another in Anna's room (Anna whimpered)."

The Captain looked at the men, then at Ignus, then at Elsa. Then he nodded and wordlessly began to move the intruders.

Ignus sheathed his weapons, taking a breath of relief. He looked at Queen Elsa.

"You alright, your majesty?"

Elsa sat up on the bed, then stood up. Quick as a flash, she raised her arms.

Ice molded itself around Ignus' arms and legs, chaining him to the ground as he looked down, alarmed. She walked up to him.

Ignus wasn't easily scared, but Elsa's eyes were like a raging blizzard, wanting nothing more than to freeze you solid.

Ignus cleared his throat. "You probably want to know what that was about."

"No" The Queen shot back icily. "I want to know everything. Who you are, where you came from, why those men attacked you, why you drugged me, why I woke up with Anna and Kristoff tied up in this room and a sword over my heart!" Her voice rose to a near-hysterical shriek.

Ignus, despite his situation, couldn't help but feel indignant.

He had just saved Elsa's life! And Anna's! And Kristoff's!

"Y'know, you could start with a thank you…"

"A THANK YOU? You were the _cause_ of those men trying to kill me!" Elsa shouted, cheeks rosy with anger. "Explain yourself! Or I'll keep you here until you do!"

Ignus liked the Queen, he really did. But he was tired, beaten and, quite frankly, very cranky. And he was never one for confinement.

"Fine then." He said, coldly. "You want to know about me? Let's start with this."

And he burst into flames.

Elsa screamed and jumped back as fire enveloped Ignus and melted the ice around him. She panicked and tried to use a winter gust to blow out the fire burning Ignus.

Then she realized he wasn't burning.

His figure rose slowly as the ice melted away. The flames slowly died out, leaving Ignus standing stoically. He opened his eyes at the Queen, who now saw fully the fire in his scarlet eyes.

"You…You…"

"Yeah."

"You can control…I mean you were cursed…I mean…fire?"

Ignus, despite his earlier indignation, felt a bit sheepish at his actions. "Yeah. I'm fire."

Elsa swayed.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa!" Ignus ran forward and caught her, lowering her to the ground. "Come on, stay with me. I know it's a lot, but we need to talk."

"You…you're like me?"

Ignus blinked, brought up short. He looked in Elsa's eyes. "Yeah, uh…I guess I am."

Elsa looked at him in wonder.

"Uh…hey? Guys?"

Anna's voice jarred both Ignus and Elsa.

"Not that I'm saying that's not ok, but…maybe you could untie Kristoff and I first?"

Elsa shot up, nearly elbowing Ignus in the nose. "Right! Right…sorry!" She slit through the ropes with her ice. Kristoff sat up, working his jaw and rubbing his wrists. He and Anna hugged silently, and then he turned to Ignus.

"So, uh…thanks. Thanks for that."

Ignus smiled sheepishly. "Nah, no worries. Y'know…"

Elsa turned to him "Yes, I…I should say thank you. You did save their lives…and mine", she added.

The man of fire looked at her. Then he sat down. Elsa stared at him quizzically.

"And I should explain to you what just happened with those Bankmen. Because it's not just about me anymore. It's about you too."

End of Chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note – An enormous thanks to all who have read/favorited/followed/reviewed my story (Especially M A V, for your kind words)**

**Now then, time for some context.**

**-TheStanfordExperiment**

Chapter 7 – Methods and Madness

"They're called Bankmen."

Ignus was sitting in the bedroom, now clear of the men who had attacked before. Elsa was sitting next to him, with Anna and Kristoff standing across from them, huddled together.

"Bankmen?" Anna asked. "That sounds a bit…I don't know…misguiding? I mean, are you in debt or something?"

Ignus gave a dry smile. "No, it's not like that." He sighed and stared at the ground. "There's an organization. They call themselves the River."

"Why the River?" Elsa asked quizzically. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"They're obsessed with purification. Keeping people safe, smart, clean, and normal. Germs, filth, danger, pollution, anything too out of the ordinary or threatening is their enemy. 'Washing the world clean' they say. Like a rushing river keeping moss off a rock. The Bankmen guard it, like a river bank. Get it?" Ignus looked at the others as he said this, understanding dawning in their eyes.

"But why do they want you?" Kristoff asked.

Ignus raised an eyebrow. Then he lit his hand on fire, like a torch. "Is there anything 'normal' about this?"

"It's not weird!" Anna blurted. "I mean…It's not NOT normal…it's…it's just like Elsa's magic! It's amazing!" Her eyes were shining with excitement.

Ignus couldn't help but feel a bit choked up. He never really was seen as "amazing".

"Could you continue?" Elsa asked gently.

"Right, right." Ignus cleared his throat, trying not to think about how close the Queen was sitting to him. "They used to be a tiny cult, y'know? I mean, how many people would follow something like that in earnest? But in the last decade they just…well, upgraded. They had more people. There were more expensive weapons. And the people who came after me were highly trained, like those men we met today."

Elsa bit her lip in thought. She looked up and asked "Why did those men try to kill me then? If they're after you?"

Ignus looked at her gravely. "That's the thing. You know how I said earlier I was sure I had given them the slip?"

"Yes."

"Well, I was right. They had no idea I was going to be here today. I thought my stunt with the avalanche was what revealed me. But actually...I think the avalanche itself was triggered by the River to get to you."

"What?" Elsa looked entirely unconvinced. "Even with the resources you say they have, how could they have triggered an entire avalanche? It was the cheering of the townspeople that caused it. And even if they did, why would they do that?"

Ignus processed the questions. "One, they used gunpowder." Upon seeing the confused expressions, he continued, "Simply put, it's a type of powder that explodes when lit. Very hard to come by. I smelled it in the lake after the avalanche, and that's when I knew there was nothing natural about it. Two, they'd do it because they knew you'd be within it's reach."

Elsa paled a tinge.

"Normally you'd be here in your castle, right? The avalanche would have surely hit it, but the reinforced structure would have likely saved your life. But in the middle of town? After your festival when you'd be weak? The perfect chance."

"That's awful!" Kristoff said. "They'd kill all those people just to get to Elsa?"

"Yeah, they would. Ironically, it's all about publicity. The Queen is killed in her castle by an Assassin? The whole country would search for a culprit. But a freak avalanche? All you'd get is a nice funeral."

Anna was trembling, and Ignus felt bad. He knew this talk about her sister being targeted must be unpleasant for her to hear.

"I don't know why they came into the castle afterwards, but it was probably a plan B for them." He hesitated to continue, watching both Anna and Elsa.

_Let's just cut to the chase._

"Look, I know you're scared, but the one thing I know about them is they don't usually make mistakes. And despite their resources, they don't have too many people like the ones who attacked you."

"What does that mean?" Elsa asked stiffly.

"It means those guys were the only ones coming after you. They won't waste more if they know the Bankmen can't handle you. They can't afford it."

"Why not?"

"Because the rest are still looking for me." He said slyly. "And they think I'm on the other side of the world."

Elsa still couldn't relax. She just had a sword 3 inches from her heart! She started trembling again, but stopped when Ignus put his hand on hers and looked at her.

"They won't come near you again." He said simply.

"How do you know that?"

"Because you're too powerful for them." He smiled, eyes twinkling slightly, like stars.

She stared into his eyes for a minute. It was hard for her to worry with his warmth reassuring her.

"But!" Elsa jumped slightly at his exclamation. "Since we have to be sure, maybe I should stick around for a while."

Elsa looked at him in surprise. "Wh...well,I appreciate it, but…why?"

Ignus looked at her. "Why?" _Because I absolutely do not want to be away from you. _"Because you saved my life! Aren't I eternally in your debt?" he said, brightly.

Elsa blushed slightly, again showing clearly on her white face. "You already saved my life, though."

"Ah." Ignus' face deflated. "Right…"

He didn't really have any other excuses. It was a bit weird of him to say he wanted stay, even if she had 'saved' him (which, let's face it, she only sort-of did.)

"Do you have anywhere else to go?" Anna asked, innocently.

"Uh…I'm kind of a vagabond. I just sort of roam."

"So…no?"

Ignus sighed. "Yeah. No."

"Then of course you can stay here!" Anna exclaimed. "What kind of people would we be, not letting you stay here after you saved us!" She seemed to have forgiven him for drugging Elsa.

"Well…I mean…I didn't mean here in the CASTLE…"

"Oh, c'mon! How often does royalty invite you to stay in a castle!"

"Quite often actually. Give her a flower and she'll invite you in." Kristoff said. Anna elbowed him softly.

Elsa was hesitant, as usual. She was still afraid of what this man brought with him, the uncertainty, the danger, especially when things had gotten so much better.

Then she looked at his eyes, remembered his fire, and his determination to protect her.

She tried not to blush too much as she said, "I would certainly appreciate the protection."

Ignus' eyes widened slightly. Then a real, warm smile broke out on his face. Elsa felt butterflies.

"It's settled then!" Anna was ecstatic. "C'mon! I'll show you around the…hm." She stopped, then looked at Elsa. A devious smile crept up on her lips.

"Maybe Elsa should show you around? So you can protect her better?"

Elsa blushed even more. "Uh, Anna…that's really not necess-"

"No, really! She could use a walk after what happened! Get all that stress out!" Anna pushed Ignus towards Elsa. "She knows these halls way better than me anyway!"

Ignus was happy his face was hidden, lest they see it was as red as his eyes. "I mean, if she's not up for it-"

"Ah-bababa zip zip zip!" Anna made several odd shushing noises. "Go on! It'll do you both good!"

Ignus looked at Elsa, who gave a resigned laugh and motioned towards the corridor. Ignus sheepishly complied.

"And make sure you take him through all the upper halls! You know, the ones that no one visits? Where you'll be totally alone? Don't forget!"

Elsa wondered which hurt more, dying from a sword through the heart or dying of embarrassment.

Kristoff watched the duo walk away as Anna bounced up to him, like a puppy expecting a treat after a job well done.

"That was sinister." He said to her.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Anna looked away, putting on a bored, uninterested, and utterly fake expression.

Kristoff just shook his head and hugged her. It had been a scary day. He needed some time with Anna. "I'm glad you're ok."

Anna hugged him back warmly. "Thanks for punching that guy for me."

"I bet you could have hit him harder."

"Kristoff!"

"Well, you know, after that slugger you dealt to Hans…"

"I'll slug you!"

Kristoff just laughed and kissed her. She was still trying to play-threaten him, even with his lips over hers. She eventually stopped, and they stood there a while, lost in each other.

A shadowy figure stood atop a tower. He looked down upon the land in front of him. It was untouched, save for the few buildings the River had put there to live in.

Necessary sacrifice, he said to himself.

He stood there a moment longer, one hand on an enormous greatsword at his side. He fondly referred to it as "Stryk".

A man bearing three white lines, one wavy appeared before him.

"Sir. We have still not located the boy."

"Give it time. His fire will reveal him eventually, as it always has."

"What should we do about the girl? The Snow Queen?"

The figure twitched at the name. It irked him how his men had failed. She obviously was more powerful that estimated.

"Let's wait on dealing with her. No sense in simply trying to best her with force. The opportunity will present itself again to end her." He said simply.

"Yes sir."

The man left.

The figure stared out again into the distance. He felt the fury ebb away at his heart, ever-present.

Patience, he said to his inner demon. You will be sated soon, be it with revenge, blood…

Or both.

End of Chapter 7


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note – I always believed that characters were what made a story. So this chapter will focus on character relations and development. Sorry to those who aren't really into this kind of thing, but I think it's necessary to pace a story like this. Also, writing 'fluff' is fun, every now and then. Feel free to let me know how I did. Thanks again for reading.**

**Fun fact - This is my longest chapter so far, over 3,000 words!**

** -TheStanfordExperiment**

**Coincidentally, I do not own Frozen.**

Chapter 8 – Revelations and Relations

Ignus was a bit embarrassed by how soundly he slept in the castle. He was usually able to snap awake at a moment's notice, but after lying in the soft beds of royalty, he doubted a brick could have woken him.

Unfortunately, a brick paled in comparison to Anna.

"Elsa? Elsa, are you awake yet?" Anna complained at Ignus' door.

Ignus pushed himself up a bit, staring perplexedly at the door. "Uh…Anna? This is Ignus…I think you have the wrong room!"

"Really? Elsa said she was sleeping in this one tonight and you were sleeping in another room, I was sure of it!"

Ignus flopped back down into bed. It seemed that Elsa had taken advantage of his presence to draw Anna's morning call away from her.

"I think you've been hoodwinked, Anna."

"What do you…ah. I get it." Anna sounded embarrassed. "Sorry, Iggy. I'll try to find Elsa's room!" He heard her footsteps fade.

He silently mouthed '_Iggy?'_.

It made him sound like a bum. Or a child.

He closed his eyes in resignation. He was hardly used to people using his real name. A nickname was almost a foreign concept to him.

He smiled a bit, though. Anna's endless energy was contagious. He soon found himself unable to go back to sleep, and figured that he should just get up.

Walking over to the bathroom, he inspected his face. It had been a while since he had seen it, as he always had his hood up, and, in most cases, didn't have mirrors to access.

Still the same, he said to himself.

After washing his face and hair, he then threw on his jacket and pulled up the hood.

Much better, he thought. He wasn't too sure that was a good thing.

Upon exiting his room, he walked through the halls of the castle. He gazed upon the magnificent paintings that decorated the walls and the rich tapestries.

He felt like he was trespassing, standing there in his raggedy pants and ordinary clothes.

"Morning, Ig!"

Ignus turned to see Anna walking towards him, a bright smile on her face. You'd never guess the day before armed intruders had tied her to a chair.

"You seem to enjoy making nicknames for me."

"It's fun! And it makes you sound cute." Anna giggled.

"I shoot fire, beat up masked mercenaries and look sketchy as all heck. Cute doesn't seem to fit me too well."

"You can think of it however you want. Everyone has a cute side to them."

"Huh. Maybe you can lend me yours sometime. You seem to have an abundance of it."

Anna laughed and followed him as he continued walking. He enjoyed talking to her. He could be honest, something that he was not used to, but enjoyed greatly.

"So, Anna."

"Hmm?"

"I really don't know that much about you and Elsa. I mean, you think about it we only met about two days ago."

"True!" Anna pondered a moment. "Where do I begin…well! Elsa is Queen and has ice powers…"

"Really."

"I'm getting my train of thought! Wait a moment. Okay…okay…choo-choo…here it comes, baby…alright!" Anna finally exclaimed to an utterly bemused Ignus.

"Elsa and I were really close when we were young, like we are now." She smiled in nostalgia. "We did everything together. But…then one day she stopped. She refused to come out of her room and talk to me." Anna's face fell a bit. "She told me a while ago that it was because she accidentally zapped me with some magic and was frightened to do it again. So, she stayed in her room. Almost 16 years it went on like that."

"Man. That must have been rough."

"It was, sometimes. I used to talk to the paintings. They were all I had! Oh, 'scuse me a second, hi Richard!" She waved at someone behind Ignus. He turned and looked to find a large painting of a man behind him.

He decided to just let that one slide.

"Then her coronation day came! It was the most exciting day of my life! I was thrilled to be able to see the outside city and to finally meet people! And then I met-" She stopped suddenly, a look of absolute loathing on her face.

Ignus was shocked. He didn't realize Anna _could_ look angry. "What is that?"

"What is what?"

"That face."

"What? Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." Anna replied, a bit too hastily.

Ignus raised an eyebrow.

"Y'know, I've been around."

"Yeah, I know."

"And every time I see a look like that…"

Anna waited.

"It usually involves a person someone once may or may not have been interested in…"

"Okay! Okay. Yeah, there was this total jerk named Hans and he came on with this honest, caring Prince act and I sort of thought it was true love but then he turned out to be completely evil and-"

"Alrighty then!" Ignus interrupted. "Long story short – the guy was a dirtbag."

Anna scowled. "The dirtiest."

They walked for a while.

"I punched him in the face."

"What?! You _punched_ someone?"

"What about it?" Anna said defensively, blushing a bit. "The guy tried to kill me and my sister!"

"Whoa…seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Wow. I would've done more than punched him."

Anna grinned.

"But anyway, Elsa's coronation was…eventful. I kind of pushed her accidentally into revealing her powers and making her run away."

"She ran away? From her kingdom?"

"Not like that! She was just scared!"

"No! No, it's fine! It's just…man, I know what that feels like so much it hurts."

Anna sighed. "Yeah…so I went up into the mountains to find her, and that's when I met Kristoff!" she beamed radiantly.

"I'm guessing you didn't punch him?"

"No! Of course not! He's wonderful!" She said affectionately.

"Okay, okay." Laughed Ignus.

"Anyway, I persuaded him and Sven-oh that's his reindeer, by the way-to take me up to her ice castle she built-"

"She built an _ice castle_?"

"Yeah! It was absolutely spectacular! It's still there, you know! We can show it to you!"

Ignus contemplated. He _was_ very interested in it. He silently hoped it wasn't damaged from the avalanche.

"I might take you up on that sometime."

"Great! Anyway, we went up there to find her, and things…well, didn't go so well. She accidentally froze my heart. It's better now!" She exclaimed as Ignus looked at her, alarmed. "It thawed out after I saved Elsa's from Hans and she learned how to control her powers with love." She beamed.

Ignus looked impressed. "And that's when you punched Hans?"

"That's when I punched Hans." Anna said, a satisfied smirk on her face.

Ignus laughed.

"So how about you?" Anna said, looking intently at him. "How did you learn to control your powers?"

Ignus slowed down a bit, looking a bit nervous. Anna saw that this wasn't something he really wanted to talk about.

"I mean…if you don't want to talk that's fine-"

"Nah…it's cool. I owe you something for that backstory." He gave a small smile.

"Well, you ask me how I control my powers. Thing is, I never really learned how to do it. Or, rather, I never really thought they needed to be controlled, y'know? They were a part of me, like my arms and legs. That's how I saw it and…well, I guess it just felt natural."

Anna's eyes widened. "Really? Jeez, Elsa had a really hard time controlling hers! But…maybe that's because she kind of grew up thinking that she had to ignore it, pretend it wasn't real…"

Ignus looked at her. "Why would she do that? Seems like the opposite thing to do, really…"

"Mom and Dad thought it was dangerous."

"Ah." Ignus looked down. "My parents loved my powers. Never had a cold day in our house, 'cause of me."

"I wish we could have rewound time to tell her that now." Anna said sadly. "That she just needed to accept them. Maybe a lot of things could have been avoided…"

"No use wishing the past was different. Trust me." Ignus replied stoically. "You have your sister back now, and from what I can tell, you both seem very happy."

"Thanks." Anna said happily.

Ignus was silent for a moment. Then, not looking at her, he asked Anna, "What happened to your parents?"

Anna's eyes fell. "They…they were in a storm on a boat…"

"I gotcha."

"It was…I mean it is…just…"

"I know."

He put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and tried to smile again, producing an oddly warped grin.

Ignus withdrew his hand. "If it makes you feel better…I know what it's like."

Anna looked at him with great concern in her eyes. "What happened to yours?"

Ignus was deathly silent. Then…

"There was a fire."

Anna's hand shot to her mouth, covering her gasp.

"Not me. No…I…I didn't cause it." Ignus said, cracking a bit. "Ironic, though, isn't it? After that I started running. Then those Bankmen started coming after me. It turned me into what I am now, all these years later." He looked down at himself. "Good at fighting, lousing at talking."

"You're not bad at all at talking." Anna said kindly. "And if it weren't for your skills, Elsa may not have…well." Anna sniffed.

Ignus' heart squeezed. He hated seeing Anna like this. Even though they met recently, he was already starting to care for her. She was simply too adorable.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could have prevented that situation…"

"No! No, sorry, don't apologize! I just…it was hard seeing that without being able to help her. I already dove in front of a sword heading for her once, and I'd always do it again."

Ignus was touched by her concern for Elsa. "She's lucky to have a sister like you."

Anna beamed once again, reverting to her sunny self. "I know."

"Anna? Ignus?"

Elsa had walked around the corner. It looked like she had just gotten up, as she stifled a yawn. "Good morning." She said, smiling.

"Hi, Elsa! How did you sleep?" Anna looked at her face, inspecting her.

"Fine, fine. I jumped a few times when I heard the castle settling, but no problems."

She then looked at Ignus, who smiled at her. Elsa's insides jumped a bit. "Good morning to you as well, Ignus."

Ignus was going to respond when Anna said, "Call him Iggy! It's way cuter, don't you think?" She giggled at Elsa's expression. "Well, I'll head off to breakfast. Take your time! Don't rush!" She called as she skipped away.

Elsa could have hit something in humiliation.

She turned back to look at Ignus, who, to her surprise, was giving her a look of playful disdain.

"So about you telling your sister which room I was in."

"Ah. Right, well, I thought I should keep her informed of where you were should she require you-"

"She thought it was your room."

"Did she? How unfortunate." The Queen said simply as she started walking.

Ignus shook his head as he walked after her.

"So!" Ignus said, walking a bit in front of Elsa and turning to face her, moving backwards. "Your highness…" he accented the 'highness'. "Anna tells me you had trouble with your powers once."

Elsa blinked. Silently making a note to freeze Anna's eyebrows later, she replied as evenly as she could. "Yes. It was difficult for me."

Ignus looked solemnly at her. "She also told me about the coronation incidents."

Elsa turned and huffed. "She had quite a talk with you didn't she?"

"Hey, don't blame me! You were the one who sent her to wake me up." He said, eyeing her.

Elsa blushed. "All right, all right. Fair enough."

They walked on in silence. Ignus' brain scrambled, trying to find something to say, anything to break the tension.

"Ice is pretty cool, huh?"

Elsa stared at him. Ignus had the sudden urge to beat his forehead against the wall in embarrassment. _ICE IS COOL? GAAAH._

Then she burst out laughing. She was laughing so hard she almost doubled over.

"Wh-hey!" Ignus' face felt hot. "Okay, yeah, that was dumb but…"

"Th-that…that must have been the silliest thing I've ever heard!" She renewed her laughter.

"I was just trying to-!"

"Ice is cool?" Elsa was almost unable to speak. "R-really? Do you always make such clever puns?"

Ignus wondered if he could knock himself unconscious with his club.

"Sorry…sorry…" Elsa finally managed to sputter. "It's just that…you seemed so distant and serious when I met you."

Ignus frowned. "Starting to wish I stayed that way."

"No, I like it. It makes you more…approachable." Elsa said.

Mutual blushing ensued.

"So, anyway…in an attempt to forget what you just heard…I guess you want to know about my powers? Seems only fair I respond."

Elsa whirled around at him. "Yes!" She exclaimed almost desperately. "Please! How did you get your powers? How do you control them? What does it feel like to you? Are you scared of it? Did you have to hide it, like me? What can you do?"

"Whoa! Easy there! I'm the hothead, remember? Give me a minute to answer!"

Elsa stopped, a bit appalled at her excitement. "S-sorry." She said sheepishly. Ignus felt another jump in his heart, seeing the Queen appear so embarrassed. _She just looks great no matter what…_

"Okay." Ignus sat down on a nearby couch they had almost walked by. "Let me see…"

"I have no idea how I got my powers. I was born with them, and my parents had no explanation. They didn't seem to care either. They thought having a son who could shoot fire was incredible."

Elsa put a hand on her arm. "My parents…didn't. Or, they thought it was dangerous."

"So I heard, and I'm sorry. My family wasn't royalty, so I guess we had less worries. But to them, and to me, the fire was just a part of me. I never had problems controlling it. In fact, I was psyched to be so unique."

"My fire…I don't really know how it feels. I've gotten so accustomed to it over the years. I guess it's like always having energy in you, always ready to start something, to react. Handy when you're being hunted by mercenaries." He added grimly.

"I was never scared of it, actually. I loved it. It kept my family and myself warm. And I never hid it. I showed the whole village, and everyone in it. I lit fires on cold winter days, and helped light the streets. I was helping people."

His face was falling as he spoke, each word becoming quieter. Elsa didn't hear him as he mumbled, "Maybe I shouldn't have…"

"What?"

"Nothing." He sat back up and cleared his throat. "As to what I can do…uh…I can light myself on fire, as you saw earlier."

"Don't you…um…" Elsa's cheeks went pink. "What happens to your…clothes?"

Ignus chuckled and gripped his jacket. "Fire-proof. Made them myself, similar to your ice gown. Handy when self-immolation is necessary. Aside from that, I can shoot fire, create fire in a certain area, and transform my body into fire…"

He realized he sounded a bit nerdy.

Elsa seemed enthralled, however. "Incredible…" she whispered.

Ignus gave her a surprised look. "Me, incredible? I heard about the ice palace! And that…that festival! _That_ was incredible. It must've been the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Elsa blushed furiously. "Thanks…it was a rush. I used to think people would hate my powers…that they'd try to chase me out. When they saw my powers for the first time they were so scared...that's when I ran to the mountains to…Ignus?!"

Ignus' eyes were on fire. His hands were clasped together, shaking.

"Ignus, what's wrong?!"

"Nothing." He closed his eyes and breathed out. When he opened them again they were their usual scarlet color. "Sorry to frighten you."

Elsa put her hand on his arm. "What was that?"

Ignus rubbed his hands on his face, sliding them down slowly. He looked at her. "Nothing." He repeated.

Elsa was entirely unconvinced, but she didn't want to pry.

Ignus continued walking.

Elsa followed, trying to think of something kind to say to him.

"Your parents must be very proud of you."

Ignus stopped and looked at her. His eyes were full of sadness. "Yeah. Yeah, I think they were."

He turned again. "I'm not like how I was, though. Since they died…"

Elsa's mouth opened in shock. She stared at his back, feeling every inch of sorrow and longing that he did.

She wanted to do something. Help him in some way, any way.

So she walked to his back and hugged him from behind gently.

"They'd still be proud."

Ignus put his hand on her arms, completely silent. They stood that way for a few minutes.

Finally, Ignus turned his head and said, "Thanks. Really."

Elsa looked at him and gently smiled. "Want some breakfast now?"

"Jeez, now that you mention it, I am starving…"

They walked next to each other towards the dining room.

Ignus looked at the Queen. He was never really good with interpreting his own feelings, but looking at her pearly skin, luscious hair and beautiful eyes, he was pretty sure he was starting to fall for Elsa.

He sighed. As if he needed more complications in his life.

End Chapter 8


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note – Want to give quick shout-out to Annabelle Vane for the praise. Also thanks to FunkyMonkey for describing my story as "Aweomse".**

** Thanks to the rest of you readers as well. This chapter's a bit shorter, due to how freaking huge the last one was. Will try to keep quality up. Stay classy.**

**-TheStanfordExperiment**

Chapter 9 – Old things, New things

"The reparations are going smoothly, as the wind only caused minor structural damages around the kingdom…"

"Hmm…"

"The festival, aside from the avalanche, was an enormous success! People are already clamoring for another demonstration…"

"Mm-hmm…"

"And then there's the matter of…your majesty, please!"

Elsa's head snapped up. She had been daydreaming again. She had done a lot of it since the avalanche, since the intruders…

Since Ignus.

She lightly clapped her face. What was she doing?

"Sorry, Kai…it's just…recent events have been stressful."

"Indeed, your majesty." The large advisor seemed not entirely pleased, but he shrugged it off. "As I was saying, there is also the matter of retrieving the royal tiara…"

"Oh." Elsa stopped short.

Kai looked at her accusingly. "Yes. That little thing I've been reminding you about for months and you have continuously put off? I'd hoped you'd take it a bit more seriously. It is a royal heirloom, after all."

Elsa dipped her head, ashamed. Kai was right. She had put it off. Since she had left it in the ice castle, she had been too distracted with her newfound freedom. She and Anna had spent almost every day together, and it had been difficult to concentrate on actual, queenly duties.

"You're right, Kai. I have been…irresponsible."

To her surprise, Kai looked somewhat amused. "I understand you had more things on your mind. And I certainly wished nothing more than for you and your sister to reconnect at last. Yet now that you can't even eat separately, perhaps we could now focus on such trivial matters?"

"I don't think it's trivial." Elsa said, somewhat sullenly.

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Now then, who shall I send?"

Elsa looked at him. "I figured I should go retrieve it."

"Your majesty, you _really_ should remain here. The townspeople want answers to the shocking light and wind they saw the other day, and your powers could certainly aid in the reparations."

"But…" They were interrupted as two voices entered the room.

"…I'm telling you, it's true!"

"Rock trolls? Look, I've been around, but telling me there are _talking_ rocks? It's a bit hard to believe."

"That's my family you're talking about!"

"Alright, fine, if you say so. I'd never want to insult family."

"Well, good. Anyway, if it's that hard to believe I should just take you up the mountain and show y-"

Kristoff stopped as he and Ignus entered the throne room. Elsa's eyes met Ignus' and her hand involuntarily shot up to straighten her hair.

"Uh…oops. Sorry to interrupt…"

"You said you knew your way around this place!" Ignus said, promptly chucking Kristoff under the bus.

"I said I knew it better than you!"

"Guys! Guys!" Elsa shouted. Both silenced themselves.

"I actually was about to look for you Kristoff. I need to ask you a favor."

Kristoff looked up. "And what would that be?"

"I need you to travel to my Ice Castle and retrieve the royal tiara. I…well, I sort of left it there after the coronation."

Kristoff seemed excited. "No problem! I'd love a chance to see that masterpiece again!"

Ignus seemed interested as well. "Maybe I should accompany him? Always wanted to see that thing myself." _And I also want to see up where the avalanche happened…_

Elsa hesitated. She wanted him to stay.

"To help protect me of course!" her mind readily shouted.

"Alright. I guess it would be safer that way."

Ignus grinned. "Guess we should get ready, then."

Kristoff looked at him in consent. "Okay then. I'll go start hitching up." He walked out of the throne room.

Elsa stifled a giggle. "Kristoff?"

"Yeah?"

"I believe the exit is that way." She pointed at the opposite door.

"Ah…right." Kristoff's face burned as he quickly exited.

Ignus smirked. "Guess I should get my things!" He walked away.

Then he stopped. Then walked towards another hallway. Then stopped again.

He put his hands on his hips and looked down.

Then he turned towards Elsa.

"Third door on the right, that hallway." She said, shrewdly.

Ignus muttered "Right, that was the one…" and walked out.

Elsa could hardly keep herself from laughing.

Ignus entered his room, finally. The castle was a maze! And it didn't help that he always had to go to Elsa to get directions…

He groaned and walked to get his things. He tied on his sword, his several pouches and a ice pick he carried with him sometimes.

He was about to walk out when he looked at himself in the mirror. He still looked pretty raggedy.

He gave his reflection a stern look, then smiled. It was time for a wardrobe change.

Taking off his equipment, and making sure the door was locked, he stood in front of the mirror and flexed his arms. Fire slowly crept over him and his clothes as they began to shift and change. The holes in his pants mended, and his sleeves extended, covering his arms. His jacket stretched out.

When he finished, he inspected his work. Not bad, he thought, satisfied.

Let's see Elsa giggle at this.

"Why can't I come?"

"Because Elsa asked me to do it, and because Sven can only take two people."

"Why does Ig get to go?"

"He hasn't seen the castle before."

Anna wanted to pout more, but Kristoff put a hand on her mouth and looked into her eyes. "And also because it gives you and Elsa a chance to talk about recent events. I'm sure she'd like that."

Anna smiled beneath Kristoff's gloved hands. He always had a good reason.

"Okay. At least be careful!"

Kristoff gave a mockingly offended look and drew himself up. "You think I can't take care of myself?"

"Nah, you're right, you'll have Ignus there too if something goes wrong."

Kristoff's figure slumped as he grumbled quietly.

"Kristoff, are you all ready to go?"

Elsa had walked out into the stables.

"Ready as can be. Sven's locked and loaded."

"So I see." Elsa said, keeping her distance from the leftover carrots on Sven's snout.

"That just leaves Ignus, if he'd hurry up."

"Relax, man, I'm right here."

Elsa turned around to say something, but her mouth stopped working once she saw Ignus.

His clothes had completely changed. His dirty jacket was now a coal-black trench coat, with intricate designs of orange and red along it, making an outline on his sleeves that connected to his gloves. His pants, all black, were hole-free and tucked neatly into his boots, which were shined and had metal plating along the toe and upper part. His sword hung from his belt, which gleamed in the sunlight. He still had his hood up, but it had an ornate symbol on the front, which looked like an image of fire. All together, he had the image of fresh charcoal with a fire burning within it.

Ignus raised his eyebrows and looked at Elsa. "I found my way out of the castle. Crazy, right?"

"A miracle." Elsa managed to choke out. She wasn't sure what she was referring to.

Sven sniffed Ignus eagerly, then tried to lick his face.

"Whoa, easy, boy. New duds. Fresh made. Reeeeally don't think reindeer saliva is what they need right now."

He climbed onto the sled. Kristoff hopped on next to him. "Ready?"

"Ready."

Anna reached up and kissed Kristoff quickly. "Take care, guys! Don't do weird boy things, like pick your nose and eat it!" Anna said brightly.

"Wait, what?" Ignus looked at Kristoff.

"Nothing." Kristoff said quickly. Ignus scooted away from him a bit, nonetheless.

"Come back soon." Elsa said. "I mean…you know, when you've found my tiara. Come back then. Whenever that may be."

Ignus smiled at her. "Not a problem. Back in a flash."

And they took off.

Anna and Elsa watched them go. Then Anna looked at Elsa sharply.

"You like him, don't you?"

"Oh my god, Anna, I am NOT doing this right now." Elsa started walking away.

"He's really cute, you know! I think he's great for you!" Anna followed close behind as the two re-entered the castle.

Elsa put her hand to her eyes. She wondered if the tiara was really worth spending a day of getting relationship advice from Anna.

End of Chapter 9


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note – Thanks for the reviews. I feel like I should stop saying that, as it might be getting annoying, but I really am grateful for the fact that you guys take time to give me feedback. Shoutout to Olafqhace for pretty much hyperventilating in text about the last chapter.**

**Another long chapter. Had some fun with this one.**

**-TheStanfordExperiment**

**Incidentally, I do not own Frozen.**

Chapter 10 – Peak Conditions

Sven raced up the mountainside, kicking up fresh powder as he did. Ignus and Kristoff sat and watched the trees go by, one by one, each covered in snow.

It had been silent for the last few hours. Ignus wasn't quite sure how to start. Kristoff seemed like a nice guy, but he had, again, only met him about a week and a half ago.

"So…" Ignus was surprised to hear Kristoff's voice. "Do you get cold?"

"Huh?"

"Well…I mean…you being fiery and all, I thought-"

"Oh, I gotcha. Nah, cold doesn't bother me. Well, I mean, throw me in a freezing lake and I'll be in trouble, but cold air? No problem."

Kristoff nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. My body just kind of got used to the cold after a while. I lived on the mountain practically my whole life."

"You said your family was a group of mountain trolls. Any idea what happened to your real…no, sorry, your biological parents?"

Kristoff shrugged. "I've been on my own as long as I can remember. Well, aside from Sven here. And more recently Anna and Elsa." He smiled at the mention of Anna.

"You and her really hit it off, huh?"

"Well…not exactly, she was still 'in love' with that Hans guy when we met. But we got closer over the course of the journey and by the end of it, we just wanted to know each other more. The rest is history."

"This Hans guy's really getting a bad rap."

Kristoff scowled. "He deserves it. He messed with Anna's heart, tried to let her freeze and take over Arendelle, and tried to kill Elsa."

"I heard that too." Ignus acknowledged. He couldn't ever picture himself trying so hard to become a ruler. If anything, he'd probably fight to get _out_ of being one.

He also could never imagine harming Elsa. Or why on earth anyone else would. His eyes narrowed.

Ignus then put a hand to his forehead. _Jeez, it's getting bad. Even mentioning her sets me on edge._

"So what do you think of Elsa?"

Ignus almost hurt his neck from twisting it so quickly. "What? What about her?"

Kristoff gave him a look. "The Queen? What do you think of her?"

Ignus drummed the seat next to him. "Well…she's…nice. She seems okay."

"Just okay? You've been talking to her a lot…"

"Well, it's because we've never met someone else with powers. It feels good to connect with someone about it."

"Mmm-hmm." Kristoff looked on. Ignus looked at his face, where he saw smugness.

_This guy may be a bit thick-headed, but man, he can read people._

"You look like you want to say something."

Kristoff looked at him. "You look like you want some_one_."

Ignus looked up at the sky, trees rushing by in his peripheral vision. He sighed.

"Yeah…maybe."

Kristoff chuckled and looked forward.

"You know, you could do a lot worse. She's pretty amazing."

"Yeah, I know. Just…well, she's a Queen. And also she's ice. It seems almost paradoxical for me to like her."

"Ah, that's no reason to quit. Besides, it almost sounds poetic. Fire and Ice, together."

Ignus gave him an odd look. Kristoff looked forward again. "Just sayin'."

Ignus almost replied, but then he saw a gleam in the distance.

He stared up at the mountain, which was difficult, as something very bright was reflecting light.

He squinted as the light faded little by little. Then his mouth fell open.

He had thought about what the castle would look like, but he had been expecting something…less _perfect_. The castle stood majestically on the side of the mountain, full of incredible designs and perfectly cut ice.

He felt like he could have stared at it for days. Like with Elsa.

Kristoff grinned. "Pretty incredible, huh?"

Ignus swallowed. "Yeah. You said it."

Sven pulled up to the staircase at the entrance. Ignus leaped off the sled, brushing his coat tails. He walked up to the staircase and hesitantly put a foot on it.

"It doesn't really feel like ice…"

"I know. But then again, it's sort of magical ice."

"Good point." Ignus walked up the staircase, inspecting every inch of the gleaming rails.

"This must be heaven for an ice guy like you." He said to Kristoff.

"No kidding." Kristoff breathed, looking up at it. "You should have seen me when I saw it the first time."

They walked inside, Ignus once again gaping at the gorgeous layout. The walls were different shades of blue, white and purple, with an incredible chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

"Ignus! You got to see this!"

Ignus walked over to where Kristoff was standing through a doorway. As he walked out onto a balcony, he whistled as he saw the incredible view of the kingdom. He could even see the castle.

For no good reason, he waved at it.

Kristoff looked at him.

"I can't figure you out, you know that?"

"Why not?"

"One minute you're a total ninja, kicking bad guys in the heads left and right, totally secretive, the next you're tripping over words and waving at people who can't see you like a little kid."

Ignus smiled. "Next thing you know I might start growing pigtails."

Kristoff laughed.

They went back inside. "Why do you wear it, by the way?" Kristoff asked. He pointed at Ignus' face. "The hood."

Ignus patted his head. "Keeps me warm."

"Yeah, right."

"Alright. I kept it this way so the Bankmen couldn't find me."

"How does that stop them?"

"They're good trackers. They'll ask anyone who has ears if they've seen someone with my face. And more often or not, people talk, either out of bribery or out of fear. Same goes for why I never said my name."

Kristoff looked at him with a bit of pity. "Lotta secrets, huh?"

"Yeah. You get used to it."

Kristoff looked at him. "Well? Can I see?"

Ignus stared at him. "What?"

"Can I see your face?"

"Cut me a break man. I'm hardly used to telling my name."

"There's no one else here!" Kristoff spread his arms out, indicating the emptiness. "C'mon."

Ignus was about to refuse again when he saw an enormous sculpture of a fierce looking giant snowman in the corner of the room. He whistled again. Then he saw a glitter at the top of its head.

"Bingo!" he said, in triumph. He ran towards the snowman.

Kristoff turned to see what Ignus was talking about. His stomach almost jumped into his throat.

"Ig, WAIT!"

Too late. Ignus jumped and dug his ice pick right into the snowman's forehead, snatching the tiara.

"Well, that was easy." He lowered himself to the ground. "Now, what were you yelling about, Kris?"

He found out when a giant, white fist crashed down next to him, cracking the floor.

He turned to see two glowing blue eyes staring ferociously at him.

"I am just seeing all kinds of things today." Ignus muttered as another fist came towards him.

Anna waved at the mountain. "Hi, guys!" she said.

"Anna, really?"

"What?" Anna smiled. "You never know."

Elsa rolled her eyes and went back to her work. She was overseeing repairs to the village.

"I wonder what's under his hood." Anna said suddenly.

Elsa dropped her quill and put her head in her hands. "Anna, please…"

"Really though! Aren't you the least bit curious?"

"Not really, no!" Complete lie.

Anna shrugged. "Yeah, you're right. He's probably really ugly underneath it anyways. " Her eyes looked for Elsa's reaction.

"What? Of course he wouldn't be!" Elsa spoke without thinking. "I-I mean he clearly must wear it for practical reasons, there's no reason his face should be ugly…"

She might as well have shot lightning at Anna, from her reaction.

"I knew it! I knew you liked him! Oh, Elsa this is great!" Anna ran over to her and grabbed her hands.

"How many…no! I do not like him! He's a total mystery to me!"

"You know his name, his personality, his motives, and some of his background. What else do you need?"

"A lot more before I start to _like _him!"

Anna stopped smiling. Putting on a very serious face, she stared at Elsa.

Elsa felt anxiety rise in her. She'd done it. She had drawn out 'Serious Anna'. As annoying as Anna could be sometimes, Elsa would always prefer her over 'Serious Anna'.

Because you couldn't lie to 'Serious Anna'

"Tell me, Elsa. Do you like him? And not like a friend!" Anna said, eyes boring into Elsa's.

Elsa squirmed under Anna's intense stare. She felt a bead of sweat drip down her face.

No way out.

"I…I…maybe…sort of…am interested in him." Elsa said, voice barely above a whisper.

Anna sat up straighter and nodded, satisfied. Then she gave Elsa a legitimately caring smile.

"Feel better?"

Elsa breathed. "Yes, actually. But don't ever do that again." Elsa said menacingly.

"I won't. For a while." Anna got up again and looked out at the window. "I think he likes you too!"

"Wh-?" Elsa's face went red. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, he did save your life."

"That doesn't mean anything!" Elsa exclaimed.

Anna gave her a look that pretty much personified the word "duh". "Seriously, Elsa?"

"It doesn't!"

Anna shook her head. Normally _she _was the stubborn one. It felt weird to switch roles.

As she looked at the castle, a sudden, panicky thought occurred to her.

"Elsa?"

"What?"

"Do you…remember that snow monster you made to scare Kristoff and I away?"

"Ye...oh. Oh dear." Elsa looked petrified.

"What happened to it?"

Elsa looked at Anna weakly.

"A GIANT…FREAKING….SNOW MONSTER?!" Ignus shouted as he tore for the door of the castle, dodging the attacks of the white menace.

"WHY?! WHAT _POSSIBLE _REASON WAS THERE TO MAKE THIS?!"

"She wanted people to stay out!" Kristoff was running next to him.

"And you failed to mention this WHY?!"

"It was a long time ago!" Kristoff shot back angrily.

"Why was it wearing the tiara on it's head?!"

"Gee whiz, so it could look pretty! How the heck should I know?!"

Their bickering cut off as the snow monster smashed it's fists against the floor, splintering it.

"Can't you use your fire? Melt it!" Kristoff suggested, panting.

"I don't kill things with my fire!" Ignus said fiercely.

"Not even giant killer snowmen?!"

"If it's alive, it stays that way! My fire is for lighting things, not snuffing them out!"

"Fine!" Kristoff looked around in a panic. He saw a large pillar of ice ahead.

"Ig!" He shouted. "The pillar! Cut it off!"

Ignus looked at the pillar, understanding. Fire balled into his fist and shot out towards the pillar, bursting upon impact.

The ice was untouched.

"Magic fire can't melt magic ice…" Ignus said to himself in frustration. This stuff was different than the ice Elsa had trapped him in, which he could melt right through.

The snow monster roared as his footsteps came ever closer.

Ignus suddenly had an idea. Fire couldn't melt the ice, but the ice couldn't put out the fire either.

He shot flames from his hands behind him, creating a large fire in the middle of the room. The fire, to his relief, remained, burning atop the ice.

The snow monster came to halt and raised his arms in defense of the dangerous heat. It covered it's face and backed off.

Ignus looked at his blockade with satisfaction. Then he looked at the monster.

He slowly stopped running. It looked like…the thing was _shaking_.

Kristoff slid to a stop and looked back at him. "Ignus! What are you doing? C'mon!"

Ignus kept staring at the monster. He was almost sure it was crying.

Curiosity and pity got the better of him. With a flick of his hand, the fires went out.

"Ig! What are you-"

Ignus raised his hand towards Kristoff for silence as the monster turned and snarled at him. It thundered up to him and crouched down, so it was eye to eye with him.

"Givv…id…baagg."

Ignus' eyes widened. English. Now that was unexpected.

He held up the tiara. "Why do you want this? What value is it to you?"

The monster's eyes narrowed, but it didn't look angry. It looked like it had been abandoned.

"M…mamaa…."

"Oh." Ignus looked at the large snowman, pity welling in his stomach. "She left you here, huh?"

The snowman nodded.

"Well, I hope you're not too angry with her. She was sort of in a jam with her powers. After she put a lid on it, she was…well, on cloud nine. She would never intentionally forget you."

Ignus looked at the tiara. Then he gave the snowman a small smile. "I'll give this back. But maybe, as an alternative, I take you down to see her?"

The snowman blinked. Then a very tentative and goofy smile spread across his mouth.

_Man. Nothing's as it seems. _Ignus thought to himself.

Kristoff ran up to him. "Ig, uh…I hate to be rude…but this thing tried to kill us."

"You said it just wanted you to leave."

"Yeah, well, he almost killed us while trying to do it."

Ignus contemplated that. "If Anna and Elsa were here, what would they do?"

Kristoff looked at him. Then he sighed dejectedly. "Anna would probably give it a hug. And Elsa would never make it stay."

Ignus smiled. He turned to the snowman. "What's your name, big guy?"

The snowman looked at him. It looked like it was in deep thought.

"Called…me…Marrmalloww."

Ignus face screwed up in confusion. "Marshmallow?"

He looked at Kristoff, who shrugged.

"He does kind of look like one."

"Okay then! Marshmallow. Let's take you outta here."

Marshmallow gave him a toothy grin. Ignus noticed his teeth were made of icicles.

_Reeeally glad we decided not to fight him…_

Ignus led them both outside to Sven, who snorted in panic at the sight of Marshmallow.

"It's alright, Sven. He's okay now." Kristoff assured him.

Sven made an outraged kind of grunt.

"No, I wouldn't do that to you. He'll travel separately."

Ignus had an idea. Looking at Marshmallow, he asked "How fast can you slide down a hill?"

Marshmallow looked down at the slope, then back at Ignus. He grinned again.

Ignus jumped onto Marshmallow's back. "Last one back has to explain to Elsa why we brought him!"

Kristoff whirled around. "Wait, what?!"

He spoke only to the winter air, as Marshmallow had taken off, sliding down the mountain, Ignus on his back.

"DaaaAAAAAAH." Kristoff said in a rush. He jumped on the sled. "Go, Sven! I do not want to have to explain that thing to Elsa!"

Further down the mountain, Ignus clung to Marshmallow like a guy on top of a moving train. As he hung on, he thought back to when he was on the Mountain.

He had looked at it's peak, and had seen that there was a noticeable pattern in where the snow was absent. Like it had been unnaturally started.

_With gunpowder. _Ignus thought grimly. He knew the River was still out there. He was never really safe. And neither was Elsa.

Fire lit in his eyes. He would not let anything hurt her anymore. She had suffered enough.

The determination and anxiety followed him down the mountain.

Elsa and Anna were still talking.

"You could ask him to dinner! Or ask him to go ice skating! Or anything!" Anna said exasperatedly. "You need to break the ice a bit! No pun intended."

Elsa bit her lip again. "I don't know, Anna." She leaned back.

It had been about six hours since the boys had left. Anna had taken the time to try and prepare Elsa for spending more time with Ignus. The table around her hands frosted over a bit. She just couldn't relax around him.

And yet it was harder to relax when he wasn't there. How does _that_ work, she thought.

"Look, maybe we should just let things stay the way they are. I don't want to rush anything…I still don't really know if I like him." _But I'm almost positive._

Anna huffed. "Fine. Slow and steady is a good way to go…it's just annoying for those enjoying the show." She smiled deviously.

"Anna!" Elsa looked at her, mortified.

"Hey, it's fun to watch!"

Elsa was about to retort, but a loud crash outside the castle alerted them both.

Elsa looked at Anna. "That was loud."

Anna looked back. "And scary."

They both ran out towards the gate, Elsa's hands emitting frost out of anxiety.

Upon reaching the entrance, they saw Ignus sitting on the shoulder of an enormous snow giant.

Anna squeaked in terror. Elsa stiffened as she recognized the giant.

Ignus raised his eyebrows in a suave way.

"Lllladies."

Elsa looked at him. "What?" she said, utterly overwhelmed.

"Ah, nothing. Sorry, couldn't resist." He grinned. "So! You're probably wondering why I am sitting on the shoulder of a large ice giant that Elsa created months ago."

Elsa looked at the giant, who seemed very nervous.

"Well, since Kristoff beat me down, I have to explain. This guy had the tiara, actually." Ignus held the gleaming crown up. "And I persuaded him to let us have it back in exchange for taking him to see his mom." Ignus smiled at Elsa.

Elsa paled.

"Um…me?"

"Well, yeah. You made him, remember?"

The giant crouched down to look at Elsa. "Ma…ma?"

Elsa looked both ashamed and frightened. But, to Ignus' pride, she reached out and patted the snowman's nose. "Yeah. Yeah, it's me. Hello."

"Mama!" The snowman grabbed Elsa and hugged her wildly.

Anna was both elated at the snowman's friendliness and anxious at the way he was squeezing Elsa.

"Okay, man, I think any more and she might pop." Ignus said to the snowman.

Marshmallow complied and put Elsa down onto the ground. She gasped for air, pink in the face from the snowman's affectionate and possibly fatal hug.

Ignus jumped down. He walked to Elsa, who immediately felt extremely self-conscious. "Got this for you." He said, holding up the tiara.

Elsa smiled weakly and reached for it, but Ignus instead placed it onto her head.

"Wow." He breathed. "It looks amazing. On you, I mean. I mean, well…y'know with your face and all and…man, I'm tired!" He quickly walked away.

Elsa slowly reached up and touched the tiara. Despite both it and the enormous snowman in front of her, she couldn't think about anything other than what Ignus had just said.

Anna, who was scratching Marshmallow's head like a dog, looked at her. "Yeah. I think he likes you." She said, beaming.

Elsa's face matched the color of Ignus' eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note – Time to start shenanigans up again. Thanks for the reviews. I knew Ignus' hood might cause issues, and I understand the feelings some of you have. I ask for your patience.**

** -TheStanfordExperiment**

** Oddly enough, I do not own Frozen.**

Chapter 11 – The Step up

It was a bit ironic how much he loved books, considering how easily they were burned.

Ignus walked around the castle library, checking out all the diverse novels, stories and documents it's shelves held.

He was thrilled to hear about the large collection from Anna earlier. It was always a hobby of his to dive into a good book. It let him escape from his sometimes-catastrophic life.

Here at the castle, however, he was merely looking to kill some time. _And maybe_, he thought as he frowned, _find out more about the River_. They did have a wider selection here than those dingy bookstores he used to visit.

Turning the corner around a bookshelf, he nearly jumped as he beheld Elsa sitting at a desk, a pile of books on her side. She didn't notice him.

Ignus thought about leaving her to her reading. He didn't mean to disturb. Still, maybe she could help him find the right documents about the River.

He walked towards her. "Hello, Elsa." He said politely.

He then was unable to speak, as an icy hand had shot out from the ground, picking him up by the throat. He grabbed the arm, gasping for air.

Elsa whirled around, eyes narrowed in concentration and anger.

Ignus couldn't help but marvel at the amount of emotions that flashed in her face in the next second. Shock, relief, realization, horror, panic.

"Ignus! Oh my god…I…I'm sorry!" She squeaked as the icy hand faded into nothingness. "I thought you were a...I mean I thought…"

Ignus held up a hand, the other one massaging his throat. "It's fine!" He rasped. "It's my bad for scaring you like-" He had to stop in order to cough several times.

Elsa ran over to him, a look of absolute shame on her face. "I'm so sorry! I thought you might've been a Bankman, or…" She stammered as she stared at Ignus, who was still hacking.

"No, really! It's-COUGH-it's fine! I'd have done the same thing if someone scared me like that." Ignus was finally able to get ahold of himself.

Elsa looked like she had just kicked a puppy by mistake.

"Really. Look at me, I'm fine!" He held out his arms and looked down at himself, trying to reassure her.

Elsa put a hand to her mouth. "Your-" she choked "Your neck is bruised!"

Backfired, Ignus thought, wincing.

"Here, look. I'm alright. Check it out." He put a hand to his bruised neck. It started glowing softly. When he took his hand away, there was no trace of a bruise, or any injury.

"See?" Ignus said to her.

Elsa stared at his hand in awe. "You can heal yourself?"

"Well, kind of. Bruises like that, yeah no problem, just send some energy through the damaged skin and it's fine. Bigger injuries, no dice." He said. "Otherwise I wouldn't have to hide so much." He said, a bit longingly.

Elsa was about to apologize more, but Ignus picked up on it and cut her off.

"So what were you reading?"

Elsa looked at the accumulating stack of books.

"I was trying to find out more about the River."

"No kidding! I just came in to do that." Ignus stared at her pile, frowning slightly. "Though by the looks of it you haven't had much success."

"It's the strangest thing! There's no trace of them anywhere! Not even in the Arendelle Record of Criminal Activity!"

Ignus stared at her, wondering how anyone could read something that sounded so boring. "Well, they are very secretive. And you yourself had never heard of them before I showed up."

Elsa bit her lip in thought. "I know…still, it bothers me. The library has never failed me before."

Ignus looked at her. Her nervous habit of biting her lip was very cute.

"You read a lot then, huh?"

Elsa almost laughed. "Are you kidding? I spent almost my whole life down here, among these books. I've read them all, you know. Geography, romance, action, drama, algebra, science, history..."

"Jeez! Quite the bookworm!"

"I still am. They were my friends during those lonely years." Elsa looked fondly around at her library.

Elsa's friends were books; Anna's friends were paintings. It made sense, in Ignus' head.

"I've been a bookie my whole life as well." Ignus said. "Even before I met the River. It was my favorite thing to do. It let me escape a bit from…well, life." He said, a bit melancholically.

Elsa looked at him with pity. Then she noticed something about what he said. "You speak in the past-tense."

"Yeah. I haven't been reading as much as of late."

"And why is that?"

Ignus smiled. "I haven't felt the need to escape."

Elsa blushed and looked at the books behind her, flipping through them aimlessly.

Ignus scratched the back of his head. "So…if we can't find anything here, maybe we should ask around town? You know sometimes local taps know all the rumors and urban myths. Maybe there are some about the River. Maybe they're true."

Elsa looked at him skeptically. "It's a longshot."

"Beats turning pages in a book for no reason." Ignus indicated Elsa's still-moving hand.

She quickly withdrew it. "Fine….but I don't know where to start. I've never been in a bar or an Inn before…"

Ignus grinned. "I know just the guy."

Ignus and Elsa walked out of the castle. Anna had been left in charge for the time being while she was away. There was nothing really going on In the Kingdom anyway, so Elsa figured it couldn't hurt.

She shuddered at the thought of her being wrong.

Elsa had expected Anna to be as irritating as she was previously, seeing her and Ignus walk out together alone. But instead, she just smiled warmly and told them to have a good time.

Elsa's lips curled into a smile. Anna was wonderful, above all else.

They walked by an enormous pile of snow in front of the castle. Elsa smiled and waved.

"Hello, Marshmallow."

A large hand popped out of the snow and waved back.

Ignus shook his head. "Still can't believe you failed to mention that guy when we went up to the castle."

"How many times did I apologize? You can't hold that against me anymore."

"Yeah, I guess not." Ignus replied, smiling mischeviously.

After walking a bit and chatting with some friendly townspeople (well, _most_ of them were friendly. One of them was a bit tipsy and started hitting on a bewildered Elsa. He left rather quickly, as he had discovered the seats of his pants had mysteriously caught on fire), they reached a small, humble bar and inn.

Elsa gave Ignus an unsure glance. "You're certain you want to start here?"

Ignus smiled. "Positive." He opened the door and walked in. Elsa followed, noticing how nice the door looked, as though it were brand new.

She walked inside. The inner side of the bar resembled the outer greatly. It was simple, but cozy. The tap looked up.

He smiled at Ignus. "Cheers, friend. Good to see you again."

Ignus grinned back. "Hey, Eddie."

"And who's this lovely lady with y-heavens above! Your majesty!" Eddie sank into a bow so quickly he almost banged his head on the counter.

Elsa smiled and said, "Thank you, Eddie. I apologize for dropping by unannounced."

"Oh, no, your majesty, pleasure is all mine! Royalty gracing my humble bar…" he raced around the counter with a cloth, shining the counter and all the stools in a fervor. "Bloody mess, this place is…"

"Oh no, please, don't trouble yourself over me."

"Trouble myself? I'd sooner confess to treason than let her majesty sit on a dirty stool in my bar!"

Elsa opened her mouth again, but Ignus put a hand out in front of her. "Just let him work. Trust me, you just made his day."

Elsa complied, sheepishly.

After a minute, after the stools gleamed as much as Elsa's Ice Castle, Eddie invited them to sit. He pulled out a bottle.

"I know what this man wants here. Hot cider, always fills you up." Eddie gestured to Ignus.

"You got it."

"And for you, majesty?"

"Oh…um…" Elsa had no idea what to order. The only alcohol she had tasted was in royal-class wine. "Just water for me, thanks. With ice."

"Not a problem." Eddie shot off. A moment later, he returned with a glass of clear water. "Here you go, my Queen. Oh…bugger me, I forgot the ice, hold on."

Elsa raised a hand. "No, don't worry. I'm fine." With a wave of her hand, three ice cubes appeared out of thin air, dropping into the glass.

Eddie was speechless. Then he chuckled and put a hand to his face.

"Wonder how many other bars have ever had two people in 'em who can control fire and ice."

"Let me answer that for you: none." Ignus said, smiling.

Eddie let out an amazed breath.

"I wish I could say I was just here to say hi, Ed." Ignus leaned in after draining his mug. "But I actually need to ask you something."

Eddie's face furrowed. Leaning in, he said. "If I can help, I will."

"I need information. Have you ever heard anything about a group called The River?"

Eddie's eyes widened a bit. "Heard nothing but dark things about that group, I have. Why would you ever want to know about them?"

Ignus looked at Elsa. Then he turned back to Eddie. "We think they might be after us."

Eddie's breathed, wordless. "Bloody hell, son. I mean…apologies, majesty. But…I can't think of any group I'd want coming after me _less._"

"Comforting, thanks. What do you know?"

Eddie's voice dropped. "Only that they weren't anything special years ago. They were a bunch of crazed cultists, thinking they knew better than the rest of the world, that it needed to be _cleansed _or some such nonsense. Thing is, though, they believed in their cause, however ruddy it was. That changed, though. People started getting paid off to join. Mercenaries. Cutthroats. It was turning into a madhouse full of loons. They got better weapons, more bodies. It wasn't a small cult no more. It was a brotherhood of psychopaths."

Ignus' eyes narrowed in thought. Elsa was silent, sipping her water ponderously.

"What could have happened…where did they get that kind of cash? How much would it cost to hire so many to believe in something?"

Eddie shook his head. "More'n a humble tap like me makes, you can be certain of that. Whatever, or whoever it was, it took major coin."

The three were interrupted as the door banged open again. A man walked in, brandishing a large wad of money.

"200 to the first deadbeat who can tell me something about the Quee-"

His eyes fell upon Elsa, who paled.

The man had three lines on his sleeve, one wavy. Like a flowing river.

Silence.

Then the man spun and dashed back out the door.

"Elsa, stay here!" Ignus shouted as he sprinted out, chasing the man.

"What?! You can't be serious!" Elsa said, indignantly, running out after him.

Eddie was left alone with his customers, staring at the door.

**A/N – This'd be a good time to listen to some chase music.**

The man was a Bankman. Ignus was positive.

No one else could run like that. Aside from himself.

Ignus sprinted through the streets of Arendelle, dodging past carts and frightened citizens, trying to keep his eyes on the man in front of him.

The Bankman jumped onto a cart and swung onto a nearby balcony, dashing into a house. Ignus cursed and followed.

Entering the house, he barged through door after door, each time receiving a shriek of alarm from it's residents. _He's getting away…_

He stopped and listened. He heard loud footsteps to his left, above him.

_Gotcha_.

Ignus ran towards the window in front of him and jumped through it, landing on the roof opposite. He looked around wildly, seeing the Bankman another roof over. Ignus sprinted after him, shooting small concentrated fireballs at him.

The Bankman dodged each one as they whizzed past him and fizzled out. He ran faster towards a large mansion.

Ignus jumped the gap between two houses and followed him, vaulting over a chimney. He blasted fire from his feet and flew forward, landing a few feet from the man, who turned to face him.

Ignus looked up, his eyes glowing dangerously. "Talk. Now."

The Bankman responded by throwing a knife at him. Ignus barely dodged in time, the knife slicing through his coat.

_Brand new coat…_

He shot a stream of fire at the Bankman, who had turned and ran again. The Bankman stumbled, but managed to leap into the outer scaffolding of the mansion.

Ignus leaped after him, landing on a balcony. He looked at the path the Bankman was taking, seeing that it connected to the other side of the house.

Ignus kicked open the door and ran inside the mansion, his eyes following the Bankman through the windows. He thought he saw the man throw something.

Ignus looked quickly between the window in front of him and the Bankman. He grit his teeth. _Come on…come on…faster…FASTER…_

He crashed through the window, grabbing the Bankman, who had just run up to it.

They fell a story, landing in a pile of garbage.

Ignus groaned in pain, then quickly got up and grabbed the Bankman's throat, lighting his other gloved hand, fire burning out of it threateningly.

"I asked you nicely before. I'm not gonna this time. If I don't hear what I want, I won't stop until I'm holding your brain in this hand."

The Bankman looked exhausted, but infuriatingly calm.

Ignus snarled. "What?"

Then he heard screams. He whirled around, seeing a huge tower of smoke. There was a house on fire. He recalled the thing he saw the Bankman throw.

_House on fire. House on fire. House on fire. House on fire. House on fire._

Ignus' eyes widened. His insides went cold. He felt like he had been punched.

That may have been because the Bankman had sunk his fist into Ignus' face, knocking him off. He immediately got up and ran.

"Choose!" He shouted as he ran.

Ignus got up, staring at the fleeing Bankman.

Then he looked at the smoke stack.

"Ignus!" Elsa had managed to catch up to him, using her ice powers to skate on ice she made on the road. "There's a house on fire! Families are inside!"

Ignus looked at her, and she was shocked by the fear she saw in his eyes.

"I…I…can't. No…"

Elsa was speechless. Ignus, the man of fire, scared of a burning house?

"Please! I need your help! I heard children!" She turned and ran towards the house.

She turned back when she saw Ignus wasn't following.

"Ignus, PLEASE!"

Ignus looked at her. His insides were tight. He was trembling.

Finally, after swearing very loudly inside his head, he ran after Elsa, towards the inferno.

End Chapter 11


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – Heart Ablaze

The fire was out of control. The Bankman had thrown his incendiary bottle at a large inn. Every inch of it was covered in flames.

Elsa and Ignus arrived at the inferno, staring at the screaming people running away from the fire. A crowd had gathered around it, gaping in fear as flames continuously rose.

Elsa turned to face Ignus. "I'll use my powers to try and reduce the flames. Can you get inside and help those trapped inside?" she said, frantically.

Ignus looked at her in utter terror. "In there?! No. No. Never…"

"Fire doesn't hurt you! Why are you afraid?"

"It…it doesn't matter! I…I just can't!"

Elsa, at any other time, would have felt compassion for Ignus. But with the screams of her people in her ears, she could only feel frustration.

"Fine! I'll save them! Alone!" She turned and ran towards the house, leaving Ignus behind, staring.

The crowd made a path as the Queen ran, summoning a stream of snow that she threw at the fire, reducing its ferocity. It still burned greatly, however. Elsa looked up at the house, trying to see where the people inside were trapped.

"Up here! In the window! Please, help!" Elsa whirled around and saw a group of people behind a window, desperately trying to get her attention.

Elsa immediately created a large slide of ice, leading from the window to the ground. "Get on it! Slide down!" she instructed.

The group of people obeyed, going one at a time down the slide. Once they all had safely landed, Elsa saw that one woman was screaming hysterically, and had been dragged down the slide by another citizen.

"No! NO! Let me back in! She needs me!"

Elsa ran up. "What happened?! What's wrong!?"

"My daughter, Abigail! She's still inside!" The woman was screaming and sobbing at the same time. "Please, your majesty, PLEASE save her!"

Elsa sharply looked at the fire. "Where was she?"

"She was in the far room, but when it started, I lost track of her!" The mother wailed.

Elsa ran around the inn, calling out to Abigail, begging her to respond. She finally heard a scream of terror, but it wasn't enough to get a location. If she tried to throw ice into the building, she'd risk accidentally freezing the girl solid.

Desperate, she threw more snow at the base of the building, trying to snuff out the flames. They died down a bit, but then roared back to life. It wasn't working. She had to use stronger magic.

But she couldn't take the risk of freezing the girl. The amount of magic she needed to stop the fire would turn every inch of her to ice, not just her heart.

Elsa panicked. She didn't know what to do.

Then she saw a shadow rush by her and crash through the burning entrance to the inn.

_Ignus_.

Ignus could harldy see. The smoke was thick as fog.

He looked around frantically, trying to find a way upstairs. He finally saw a broken stairwell. Leaping against the wall and off of it, he grabbed the end of it. It started to break loose from his weight. Scrambling, he pulled himself up and jumped off just as it fell.

He continued running through the house, trying to locate the girl.

…_left her upstairs, I need to find…._

He kicked open a door, finding nothing but burning furniture inside. He didn't have much time left. Fire would never hurt him, but a collapsing house? That was another matter.

…_whole barn is on fire, we need to get the animals out!_

Ignus sprinted down the corridor. "Where are you?!" he shouted, trying to find the girl. He heard another scream, but over the roar of the fire, he couldn't tell from where.

He kept running.

_…wasn't me dad! I promise, it…it wasn't me!_

_I know. But we need to find your mother now! Before the roof comes down!_

_A piece of it fell down, as if to emphasize his point._

_I'll get her! Fire doesn't hurt me!_

_No. Fire doesn't. Debris does. _

Ignus' foot broke through the floor. He pulled it out, wincing at the splinters, and kept running.

_Dad! _

_I'll be fine. Trust me. You need to let out the animals! They can't die in the fire!_

_But…_

_Ignus, PLEASE!_

"WHERE ARE YOU?!"

_The barn door flew open as horses, chickens, cows and pigs ran from it. _

_Then the entire barn came crashing down, an enormous stream of fire shooting out of the door. _

_Ignus ran back to the house. MOM! DAD!_

Ignus kicked open the last door. Inside he finally saw a soot-covered girl, clutching a doll, crying her eyes out.

Ignus ran up to her. "It's okay! I've got you….I've got you."

_I got the animals out, Dad! Where are you? _

The girl sobbed. "I…I….I want mom!"

_Mom?! Hello?! His only answer was the roar of the fire._

"I know, kiddo. Look, I'm gonna take you to your mom, ok? Everything's going to be ok!" He reached out his hand. "Trust me!"

The girl looked up and sniffed. Then she took his hand.

Ignus picked her up in his arms and tore for the window, where Elsa's safety slide was.

Planks fell. Arches collapsed. One hit Ignus in the arm as he ran. Ignoring the shooting pain, he squinted through the smoke, staring at the window.

He reached it and put Abigail on the slide. She slid down it to safety. Her mother, now absolutely howling, ran up to her and hugged her fiercely, carrying her away from the fire.

Then the floor beneath Ignus gave out, and he fell through.

He landed on the lower floor, onto a pile of broken wood. Slowly, he turned over and got to his knees.

He looked in front of him. There was no exit aside from the window directly in front of him, all the way on the other side of the hallway.

Ignus heard the roof cave in.

Then he ran like he had never run before.

_Ignus, run! Get out of the house!_

_NO! Not without you!_

_We're right behind you! Just go! _

_We love you, Ignus! More than anything!_

_Wh…what?! No! NO! You said you're coming with me!_

_We are! Now run!_

The collapsing house chased after Ignus, a foot behind him. He was twelve inches from being impaled by a beam.

_Ignus ran. He ran through the fire, through the smoke, through his tears._

_He ran outside the house and turned back around._

Ignus shot flames out of his feet, rocketing towards the window.

_He smelled something pungent. It was a smell he'd never forget._

_The house exploded. _

Ignus shot out from the window like a cannonball, as the entire house fell to the ground behind him, flames bursting from the window behind him.

He was airborne for about three seconds. Then he fell to the ground, tumbling over and over again. He came to a stop in an alleyway, about 50 feet from where the house once stood.

He sat there in a fetal position, cut, splintered, and bruised.

_The farm! Oh my god…what happened?_

_Look! It's the son!_

_He's unharmed! He must have started it! He lost control of his flames!_

_No…_

_Monster! He killed his own parents with his curse!_

_It wasn't me…_

_Killer!_

_Freak!_

_How could you?!_

_Why?!_

_No…!_

Ignus took in a breath.

A sound came out of his mouth. It was a sound of fear. Of regret. Of rage. Of sheer, appalling despondence.

"IT WASN'T MEEEEEEE!"

The roar of the fire slowly died down, leaving the night silent, broken only by the small sound of Ignus' sobs.

End Chapter 12


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note – ****_IMPORTANT. PLEASE READ._**** I greatly enjoy writing Singed, and I do my best to stay on track with updates. However, I unfortunately must let you all know that I will not be able to update after this chapter for about three weeks. I'm truly sorry for making you all wait. Please enjoy this last chapter as much as possible before the break in updates.**

**-TheStanfordExperiment**

Chapter 13 – Hurt

Anna did not expect something this huge to occur while she was acting ruler.

She had received the shocking news of a fire as she and Kristoff were in the Throne room, discussing in jest what new decrees to make while they were in charge.

Once she received the news, Kristoff had been amazed by Anna's change in attitude.

She had immediately ordered the guards to gather anything that could carry snow and bring it to the burning building. They would fill the containers with snow, bring it near the fire, allowing it to melt, followed by throwing it onto the building.

It was actually very ingenious, Kristoff had thought. Maybe there's a little royalty behind that energy after all.

Anna had come to the building herself to oversee what was happening. As she galloped up, she saw that the guards had successfully extinguished most of the flames, though a few still lingered stubbornly. There was still a crowd of people around, staring at the wreckage. Guards were tending to those who escaped the building.

Anna jumped down from her horse and walked over to the nearest guard. "Excuse me? Guard?"

The guard turned to her. "Yes, Princess Anna?"

"What happened? I mean, aside from the obvious. Was anyone hurt? How did the fire start?"

The guard sighed. "We don't know how the fire started, although bystanders report seeing a man throw something at the building. We managed to put it out in time, with the help of Queen Elsa. It was a miracle, but no one living in the building was killed. One little girl almost didn't make it, bless her soul, but a man from the crowd ran in and saved her. The man, however…" The guard looked down. "We have not found him. Or a body."

Anna paled a tinge. She tried to look strong, but sorrow clutched at her heart. "Who was the man?"

"We do not know, your majesty. We only know he was dressed in all black and wore a hood."

Anna's eyes flew open. She gasped.

"Ignus. Oh, no…"

"Anna!"

Elsa had run over to her. She looked awful. Her beautiful hair was dirty from the smoke in the air, and her face had soot on it. She looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"Have you seen Ignus? Please, tell me you have!"

Anna's felt a lump in her throat as tears welled in her eyes. "Elsa…Elsa, I…" she croaked. "I'm so sorry…I haven't."

Elsa felt petrified.

No.

He couldn't die in a fire. It was unnatural. It was too unfair. She had sent him in there.

She held herself as she fell to her knees, as sound around her blurred together.

"-sa, I'm so sorry…"

"…need to clear the crowd, it's too much…."

"…the victims to safety. They need shelter from…"

"…there was some kind of thing that jumped out the back…"

Elsa's eyes shot open. Jumping to her feet, she ran to the source of the conversation she had overheard. A man was talking to a guard.

"You! Say that again!"

The man looked positively alarmed. Then again, Elsa was hardly acting like herself.

"I…uh…" the man gulped, trying to collect himself. "I was just saying that moments before the house fell, I saw something fly out of the back window. It almost looked like someone burning or-" He stopped, as the queen had dashed in the direction the man had described.

Kicking off her shoes, Elsa ran through the streets, little patches of ice forming where her feet fell. Her powers were leaking out from her emotional outbreak.

She rounded a corner and looked into an alleyway. There she saw a smoking figure sitting against the wall.

She took a step closer. "Ignus?"

The figure raised its head.

"Hey."

Elsa ran forward and threw her arms around him.

"Oh god, I…they said…" She shuddered as she lay against his warm body. "I'm just happy you're ok."

Ignus was motionless.

She withdrew herself from him. Looking at his eyes, she saw that there was no light in them. They were dull, like a dying fire.

"Ignus…that girl…she's fine, you know. You saved her life." Elsa said.

Ignus said nothing.

Elsa looked at him, extremely concerned. "Ignus, what's wrong?"

Ignus put his hands together in front of his face and leaned it against them.

"I just remembered some stuff."

Elsa looked at him, not expecting that answer. She was about to inquire further when Ignus spoke again.

"I grew up on a farm, Elsa."

Elsa was now fearing Ignus had suffered some sort of head injury.

"I lived there for twelve years. I was happy. We had plenty of income, the neighbors all knew us, and life was simple. Well…" He lit his finger like a matchstick. "Simple as it could be with this."

"Thing is, though, town was run by this greedbag. Duke of something-or-other. I never cared about his name. All I cared about was that he was a scumbag. He owned more land than anyone in the country. He had money coming out of the seat of his pants. Made his fortune in trading minerals, one of which was gunpowder." He looked up at Elsa. "Yeah, I'm getting to that."

"Anyways…he wanted our farmland. Said that there was a heap of riches underneath in the rocks and that we could never use it like he could. My old man said no. So the Duke came back with a larger offer. Figured he could pay off my dad. It was actually the worst thing he could do. My dad was stubborn. He would never change his mind, no matter how stupid it was for him not to."

"So the Duke changed tactics. He went for intimidation. See, rich as he was, he knew how to fight. He used to be a mercenary before he got rich. Paid off royalty to "overlook" his past crimes."

"He tried to bully my Dad and Mom, actually hitting Dad once when he was insulted." Ignus closed his eyes. His face was completed shrouded from sight, as if nothing was beneath his hood.

"I lost it. Gave him a message right back. In the form of a wicked burn on his face."

Elsa swallowed.

"Left it at that though. I thought he'd stop, that he'd had enough. I didn't realize he was as stubborn as my dad. And he had less morality. Way less."

Elsa's eyes were full of anxiety.

"One night our house and barn caught fire." Elsa's hand went to her mouth. "My dad told me to get out, free the animals so they wouldn't burn to death." Ignus' fist clenched. "I obeyed. After I freed them, I ran back to the house to help them, but…"

He was silent.

"You can guess. The townspeople didn't believe me when I said I hadn't ignited the farm. They blamed my parents deaths on me. They cursed me, chased me out like a rabid dog."

Elsa's eyes were now brimming with tears.

"But I knew. I smelled something I'd never forget."

"Gunpowder. I didn't care if he had done it himself or had gotten someone else to do it. The Duke had orchestrated my parents deaths. He was the only one who possessed that mineral in the entire town."

More silence. Elsa's tears fell freely.

"Did you…did you kill him?"

Ignus looked at her.

"Worse. I did to him what he did to me. I left him with nothing. I ran to his estate and torched it. I burned everything, letting my fire go like a demon." Ignus' eyes went blood red. "I burned his stock, all his supply, his livestock, his land, his house, his money, his carriages and ships and cargo and anything and everything that I associated to be evenly remotely related to him."

"After I was done, I left. I had nothing at all. So I ran. Years later, the River started coming after me."

His eyes faded as he looked down again.

"You asked me once why I wore this." He weakly touched his hood.

"It's because I didn't see anyone when I looked at myself in the mirror. The face I saw reminded me of a life I had lost. A life I burnt to ashes. And it hurt every time I looked at it."

"It still does."

He fell silent, shaking.

Elsa was now sobbing. She reached out towards him again and pulled him into a hug. She laid her head against his neck and stayed there.

Ignus did nothing at first. Then his arms slowly rose to return her embrace.

They stayed like that for a while.

Then Elsa spoke. "Ignus…I can't pretend I understand what you feel. I never will. But…please listen to me when I say that you can't believe it was your fault. I blamed myself for years about hurting Anna, and it never helped."

Ignus tightened his grip. "I don't blame myself for their deaths."

"I don't believe you."

Ignus said nothing.

"Please." Elsa whispered. "You were put through something no one on Earth should ever experience. But you can't let it haunt you like this."

"I burned him. The Duke. If…if I hadn't…"

"We can't change the past. Anna told me you said that to her once." Elsa rose off his body and looked into his eyes. "Just for a moment…could you yourself believe that?"

Ignus' eyes had tears running down them.

Elsa cupped his face with her hands. "You saved a child's life. You saved Anna's life. You saved Kristoff's life. You saved the lives of everyone who would have been killed by that avalanche. And you saved my life." She looked at him pleadingly.

"Every single one of those people forgives you. Please…please forgive yourself."

Her hands rose up to his hood.

Ignus' hands shot up and grabbed both her wrists.

She didn't stop looking into his eyes.

Minutes went by.

Then Ignus shuddered, and relaxed his hands, not letting go.

Elsa slowly pulled back his hood and gazed upon his face.

He had a shiny burn mark on one of his cheeks. He had one small scar over his left eye. His hair was jet-black except for the ends, which were faded red. It was chopped to the right, giving him a street-like look. His nose was small, and he had a few freckles.

And he's absolutely gorgeous, Elsa thought.

Ignus' hands were shaking so badly that Elsa's shook too.

Finally he looked up into Elsa's shining blue eyes.

"Alright."

She hugged him tightly again.

Ignus was unable to speak. He couldn't think straight. His head told him to throw his hood back up and run again. Keep running. Never stop. Stay ahead of the pain, the regret, the fury.

But his heart told him to never, ever leave Elsa's side.

It told him that he loved her with every inch of his being.

And it forgave him.

End Chapter 13

**A/N – I completely lied about the delay in updates. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you again very soon.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note – I'd like to address a few points that came up.**

**1. I will NEVER be annoyed with any of you repeatedly reviewing my work. It helps me keep my head on my shoulders while I'm writing and not rush, and I appreciate it greatly.**

**2. Many of you have complimented me on my writing ability. Unfortunately, one thing I am absolutely horrible at writing about is physical character description. This is why I deliberately kept Ignus' facial appearance vague. I don't want to limit what he may look like to you when I myself can't describe him well enough. Fanfiction, in my humble opinion, is all about imagination. I tried to give you the basic facial features Ignus has. Fill in the blanks at your whim. If he looks like Logan Lerman in your head, who am I to say otherwise? I apologize if you are looking for a solid description of Ignus, but to me, Ignus exists through his actions and personality, not his looks. Not trying to be a hard-ass, just want to give you all a good explanation for my decision. **

**Sorry about the little joke I played last time. Wanted to make sure you all enjoyed that chapter as much as possible. If you are confused as to why I have updated when I said I wouldn't, I suggest you give the ending of the last chapter a closer look.**

**So, enough of that. Enjoy, and once again, thank you.**

**Verily, I do not own Frozen.**

Chapter 14 – Aftermath

The streets of Arendelle were filled with an air of anxiety. As well as snow.

Yesterday, as the clock struck noon, The Queen had declared an emergency. She had explained that an evil group known as The River had attempted to take her life and the lives of those in the burning building.

This group was still at large, and she had ordered all guards to double patrols and lookout shifts. A picture of their symbol had been distributed throughout the Kingdom. All citizens were to report anyone donning the symbol.

After Elsa had made the public announcement, she stepped back into the castle, where Ignus was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. His hood was no longer up, and his hair had stopped sticking to his head, becoming a bit spiky.

"How do you think it went? She asked him

He nodded approvingly. "It'll set them on edge. But it'll also let the River know that we know who they are now. They'll think twice before trying to get to you again."

Elsa looked at him, concerned. "They know about you too, now. That Bankman that escaped the other day saw your fire powers, you told me."

Ignus smiled. Elsa noticed how it looked different without his hood. Good different.

"Yeah, exactly. They'd have to be crazy to try and attack us both when were living in the same place."

Elsa made a small noise and blushed. Ignus took a moment to realize what he had said.

His cheeks went red. A unfortunate side effect of his recent facial emergence.

"I mean…well…us being in close proximity and all. Not like that, I mean…" He slapped his face. "Ah, jeez."

Elsa couldn't help but giggle. "I understand." She said.

Ignus didn't meet her eyes.

"I'm uh…I'm gonna go see how Kristoff and Anna are doing. I haven't talked to them in a while."

And he walked off, leaving Elsa looking after him, a bit crestfallen.

As he walked, Ignus' thoughts were like torrential rain.

Two nights ago, when he and Elsa were in that alleyway, and she had helped him confront his past, so easily as well…

He wondered if she knew how much it had meant to him.

She had hugged him. He could still feel her arms around his neck.

And he had realized that he loved her.

Ignus had heard a lot about love during his years on the run. He never thought he would feel it, but he had entertained the thought of falling in love. He figured it'd be amazing.

It wasn't. He was downright terrified.

His feelings appalled him. He had only met Elsa a little over a month ago! He couldn't be feeling like this already! It didn't make sense!

_Ah, but don't they say that love never makes sense?_

_Shut it, Casanova._

Ignus' sighed, at war with himself. What he felt was too strong to be considered okay. It was insane. Above all else, he knew that Elsa would never understand his feelings.

At least not yet.

Ignus slapped his forehead hard, trying to knock out his wishful thinking. He then ran a hand through his black hair (something he was not used to at all, but enjoyed).

He needed advice.

But from who?

"IGNUS! LOOK OUT! YOUR HAIR IS ON FIRE!"

Ignus nearly exploded. Literally.

Whirling around, he saw Anna standing behind him, a huge grin plastered on her face.

"You realize I almost burnt off your eyebrows, right?"

Anna laughed. "Sorry! Your hair matches your style. It looks like the ends are fiery." She lightly poked the red ends of his hair.

Ignus gently swatted her hand. "Well, it's not on fire."

Anna laughed even more. "Your face! It's so frowny right now! It's weird!"

"Oy…"

Anna tried to calm down. "Sorry. Really. It's just…" She gave him one of her signature sunny smiles. "I like you with a face."

Ignus still looked annoyed, but his face softened.

Anna continued. "I got to say…I wasn't expecting it to be so…normal."

"Thanks. Really appreciate it."

"Not like that! I mean…well, it's not burnt off or ugly or anything. It's nice! You look handsome, really!" She looked at him sincerely.

Ignus blinked. He wasn't used to being called handsome. He didn't think he minded it too much.

"Seriously?"

Anna crossed her heart with her finger.

Ignus continued walking. Anna noticed to her amusement that he seemed to walk now with a bit of a swagger.

"Anna!"

The duo turned to see Kristoff walking towards them.

"Kristoff! Hi!" Anna gushed, skipping over and giving him a kiss. "What's up?"

Kristoff smiled. "Nothing much. But your sister's looking for you. She's in the throne room."

"Okey dokey! Be back in a flash!" She ran towards the hallway.

Kristoff looked at Ignus. He looked up and down at his face, inspecting it.

"Not bad. Glad to see you're not horrendously disfigured."

"Jeez, you and Anna both. Get off my case." Ignus walked towards the balcony. He looked out over the kingdom.

Kristoff walked up behind him, his expression growing darker. "So, it was a Bankman that started that fire, huh?"

Ignus' eyes narrowed. "Yeah."

Kristoff leaned on the rail. "You think they'll come back?"

"Not for a while. They probably weren't expecting us to alert the whole Kingdom." He looked at Kristoff. "But eventually, yes. They'll come back."

Kristoff sighed. "I wish this wasn't happening. This…waiting. Like they make all the moves and we have to deal with it."

"I know. We're trying to get a location on their HQ from the four prisoners we have, but they're not talking."

Kristoff grunted.

Ignus leaned on the rail next to him. "How are things with Anna?"

That brought a smile to Kristoff's face. "Great. Matter of fact…can I let you in on a little secret?"

"It's me, man. 'Course you can."

Kristoff reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black box. It was a ring case.

Ignus' eyes nearly shot out of their sockets.

"You…you can't be…" He looked into Kristoff's eyes. "You are! Holy…wow! That's amazing! Did you…I mean when are you going to ask her?" Ignus was more excited than he had felt in a while.

Kristoff looked at the box, tentatively. "To be honest…I was going to ask the day of the fire. Now I'm not sure."

Ignus deflated.

"I'm sorry…if it wasn't for me those Bankmen wouldn't…"

"If it wasn't for you," Kristoff interrupted, cutting him off, "I'd be asking Anna to marry me underneath an avalanche. Or as she was tied to a chair with three armed men about to kill her sister. Bottom line: don't apologize." He eyed Ignus, as if daring him to do it again.

Ignus took a hint. "Alright, alright. Congratulations." He said, smiling.

Kristoff looked out again at the Kingdom. Ignus looked at him. Then, before he could process it, he had blurted out a question.

"How did you know?"

Kristoff looked at him oddly. "Huh?"

Ignus slowed down. "I mean…when did you know you loved her? That you wanted to be with her forever?"

Kristoff looked at him, like he was ill. Then he laughed and let out a thoughtful sigh.

"Honestly? I knew Anna was the one for me about a month and a half after I met her."

Ignus' brain short-circuited. "You can't be serious."

"Hey, you asked!"

"No, no, I mean…never mind." Ignus leaned back against the wall of the castle. "Why?"

Kristoff looked up at the sky. "It must have been about half a year ago. She had finally convinced me to take her ice harvesting for the first time. I took her up to a small lake that I sometimes go to. Not a lot of ice, but it was safer for her. When we arrived, I went to work as usual while she watched. Soon enough, as you can imagine, she wanted to try swinging the pickaxe."

Ignus couldn't think of many things more dangerous than Anna with a pickaxe.

Kristoff read his expression. "Yeah, my reaction exactly. But she insisted for the next hour until I finally agreed. Can you guess what happened?"

Ignus pretended to think. "She did a perfect job."

Kristoff raised an eyebrow.

"She did an okay job?"

Kristoff still waited.

"She missed and cracked the ice?"

Still nothing.

Ignus winced. "She missed and split open the whole lake?"

"One swing. The entire lake shattered. It was unreal. I nearly drowned as we hightailed it off the ice. Once we were safe, she hugged me around the waist and kept apologizing. She felt awful." Kristoff smiled "And then I knew."

Ignus did a small double take.

"Wait...you knew? After that?"

"Yup."

"But…I mean…what?!"

Kristoff chuckled. "Laying there, watching her apologize for impossibly splitting open an entire frozen lake, I knew. Because I felt complete. Her silliness, her kindness, her spirit, her stubbornness, and her knack for being completely unpredictable…it felt perfect. She made my ordinary job…my ordinary life extraordinary. I need her."

Kristoff exhaled. "And that's all there is to it."

Ignus took a step back. Kristoff's words hit him hard.

He thought back to when he was with Elsa in the alley. How his entire mind was on fire, burning with regret and memories he had run from, how she had cooled it so easily, and how…right it felt to be holding her in his arms.

Kristoff looked at him. "And…I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I was as hesitant about my feelings for her as you are now with Elsa."

Ignus looked at him, surprised. Then he relaxed. He was done lying.

"Yeah…It's just…Elsa helped me do something I could never do by myself, nor with anyone else in the world."

"And what was that."

Ignus looked up. "She helped me let it go."

Kristoff raised an eyebrow. Ignus looked at him, quizzically.

"What?"

"Nothing…"

Ignus stared out at the Kingdom again. Anxiety crept onto his face.

"What if…what if she doesn't…"

Kristoff looked at him. "I can't say. But if I were you, what I would concern myself with is making sure these River jerks are out of the picture. It'd be kind of hard to fully enjoy a date with guys trying to kill you both."

Ignus smiled ruefully. "Yeah. And it'd be a pretty tense wedding for you if they were still around."

This time Kristoff was a bit embarrassed.

Ignus turned around and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. His eyes blazed with determination.

"I will stop them."

Kristoff looked back at him, grinning.

"I know it."

Anna found Elsa absentmindedly creating ice sculptures with her powers in the throne room.

"My Queen, what is it you require of me?" she said in a mockingly formal accent.

Elsa turned, looking at Anna with an air of anxiety about her.

"Hi, Anna. Thanks for coming."

"Don't mention it!" Anna sat down next to her. "Something you want to talk about?"

Elsa sighed and nodded. She didn't know where to begin.

The River was now public. It was an event, not an incident.

Arendelle had an enemy. She had an enemy.

But…if she was honest with herself…something else was taking up much more space in her brain.

Something in the form of a tall, dark and flame-wielding individual.

She couldn't stop thinking about what Ignus' had told her in the alleyway. How his life had been stolen from him just like that, all because of some scheming Duke. It was so unfair. The pity she felt for him then was still strong now.

She also couldn't stop thinking about his face. Ever since she had met him he had been an enigma…a guardian with a ferocious power and a charming smile.

Now he was a human. Like her. He had real emotions, and a face to display them with.

It also, Elsa couldn't help but notice, was extremely good-looking.

"Elsa?" Anna's voice snapped Elsa out of her thoughts. "Hello?"

Elsa shook her head softly. "Sorry…you're right. There is a lot."

Anna looked at her eyes. She raised her eyebrows, but not in a skeptical way. She was trying to get Elsa to talk more.

"It's…" Elsa tried to make words. "It's about Ignus."

Anna looked at her, understanding. "What about him?"

"I think…I like him. A lot."

Anna's eyes widened in excitement. "Really?" she said in a giddy whisper.

Elsa nodded silently. She was completely at a loss for how to react to her feelings. All she could think about was how warm Ignus' had been when she hugged him.

"That's amazing! But…oh, I get it. You're a little scared of how you feel."

Elsa blinked at her sister, surprised by her insight. "Yes. That's exactly right."

Anna clapped her hands together. "Okay, we'll start with this. Why do you like him?"

Elsa blushed a bit. She pictured Ignus in her mind.

"He's…he's strong. Not just his body (she blushed more) but he's…he's been through so much, Anna. And he still is able to make friends with a giant snowman." She smiled. "He's funny, he's smart…he cares so much about other people over himself. He put himself in front of an avalanche to save the lives of people he had never met, for heaven's sake. And I can talk to him so easily…it's like were connected in some way. And not just because of our powers…we understand each other. We've both had tough childhoods, exiled ourselves because of our powers…and his eyes, Anna." Elsa sighed dreamily, which may have very well been the first time in her life she had ever done that. "I feel like I could look at them forever."

Anna's hands were on her chin as she listened to Elsa. She was doing her best to not jump for joy for her sister.

Elsa suddenly snapped up, like she had just woken up.

"I mean…I know it's a bit early to gush like this, but…" She looked at Anna tentatively, waiting for a reaction.

Anna beamed proudly at Elsa. "I think he's awesome."

Elsa smiled bashfully.

Just then, Ignus and Kristoff walked in. Elsa's self-consciousness skyrocketed.

Ignus turned to her. "Elsa, can I talk to you for a sec?

Her heart nearly jumped into her throat. "Of-of course. About what?"

Ignus crossed his arms. "I want to walk around town and see how people are reacting to the posters about the River. Try to see if they know anything more. It'd be safer if we went together."

"Oh. Okay." She shrunk a bit.

Ignus looked around at the room. He seemed uncomfortable.

"And also…I don't know, if we're hungry…we could maybe get some dinner as well."

He swung his arms at his sides, trying and failing to look nonchalant.

Elsa straightened back up, surprised. She turned and looked at Anna out of the corner of her eye. Anna smiled widely and gave her the thumbs-up.

"Very well. That sounds…wonderful." Elsa managed to say it with an even voice.

Ignus' put his hands into the pockets of his coat and grinned.

Anna and Kristoff watched the two walk out of the castle.

Kristoff chuckled. "Seems like they like each other."

Anna whirled around and faced Kristoff, unable to resist. "She just told me everything! How she talked with him in an alleyway, how she…"

"I know." Kristoff cut her off. Anna looked at him in confusion. He grinned. "Him too."

Anna could have burst into flames herself with joy.

She jumped and hugged Kristoff. "I'm so happy for them!"

"Yeah."

Kristoff took one hand off of Anna and felt the outline of the little black box in his pocket. He sighed quietly.

"I just wish we all could relax a bit, without this River issue."

Anna squeezed him. "Me, too."

Snow continued to fall.

End Chapter 14


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Notes – Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do**

**Puns, right?**

***ahem***

**_READ THIS PART_ - I was fooling around online and image searched "pyromancer". I found an uncanny drawing. **

**It pretty much matched what I always pictured Ignus to look like. **

**So, if you are truly desperate for an image of what Ignus looks like and your imagination is not enough, image search "pyromancer" and look at the 5****th**** row down on the right. It's the grey picture with the guy in black clothing turned away with fire coming out of his hands. You really can't miss it.**

**I didn't draw it, just wanted to share it. It's awesome. Also, this isn't a joke like last time, in case you were wondering.**

**Enjoy the chapter.**

**-TheStanfordExperiment**

**I got 99 problems, but I do not own Frozen**

Chapter 15 – The Plan

The headquarters of the River was choked by the grip of fear.

The members had learned that Arendelle had become aware of their existence and had declared an emergency. This was not good for them, or their plans for both the targets.

But that's not what frightened them. It was their leader, the Channel.

Since receiving the news, he had exiled twenty members of the river. They were the lucky ones.

The Channel's obsession with the boy was enormous. But now that he was with the Queen, few in his army would dare approach them. They were too powerful together.

As he stood atop his lonely tower, The Channel looked out in the direction of Arendelle. He gripped his greatsword, Stryk.

He couldn't march on Arendelle. They'd be too strong. His fighters were trained, but not enough to win when outnumbered.

Any assassins trying to get in had not been able to find a way past the guards. A few had gotten caught trying.

He couldn't use force and he couldn't sneak.

He smiled evilly. He'd combine them, then.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Ignus breathed heavily as he punched the hanging bag in front of him. He had been beating it to a pulp for the last ten minutes.

Elsa had asked the castle servants to put together a combat room for him to train with. He had been delighted, but it also solemnly reminded him that there was still a threat lingering about the Kingdom.

He let his frustrations loose on the punching bag. Reaching back, he shot fire out his elbow, accelerating his fist. It punched straight through the bag, leaving a cindering hole.

He flexed his hand. Not bad. He had been trying to push his powers more lately, coming up with more creative ways to use them.

He walked towards the exit, looking at himself in a mirror as he did. He was wearing a plain black shirt, his jacket hanging in the corner. His hair had begun to get unruly, enjoying its freedom from the confines of the hood he had worn for years.

He turned as he heard footsteps. Elsa entered the large room.

"Oh!" She seemed startled. "Sorry…I didn't think you were still in here."

"Nah, don't worry about it. I was just finishing up anyway." He hastily threw his jacket back on.

Elsa followed him out. She tried not to look to hard at his flexed muscles. "Have you heard anything more about the River?

Ignus shook his head. "Not since the guards captured the one that tried to sneak in. And he's as tight-lipped as the others." He scowled. "We need to do something else…something more to weed them out. Right now we're just sitting ducks."

Elsa shuddered. She didn't find his terminology comforting.

"Also, I was thinking…" Ignus stopped and looked at her. "Maybe what we need is to move you, Anna and Kristoff out of here. You can go up to your ice castle on the mountain. They'd never be able to sneak up on you up there. You'd be safer."

Elsa looked at him like he was crazy. "And what about you? You'd just stay here like bait and wait for them to come kill you?"

Ignus inwardly agreed with her…it was a stupid idea.

"I just want you all safe."

Elsa looked at him defiantly. "And I intend to keep us safe. You included. No sacrificial plans will be carried out, understand? Although maybe it would be smart to send Anna and Kristoff away."

Ignus remembered then that she was, in fact, a Queen.

He smiled sheepishly. "As you wish, your majesty."

Elsa smiled, giving him a look that playfully said "stop it"

That's when Ignus heard the cannons.

"What the-?" He perked his ears. He heard screaming and even more explosions.

_No. No way._

He sprinted away from Elsa, who turned and stared after him for a moment, completely confused, before following him.

Ignus ran out to a balcony overlooking the kingdom.

A ship in the harbor was firing cannons into the town. Its flag had the symbol of the River on it.

Ignus' eyes burned as he clenched his fist. They had crossed the line. The River had answered to the public defamation by firing on Arendelle.

Elsa ran out beside him. Her hands flew to her mouth.

"They…they wouldn't!"

"They did." Ignus spat. He was livid.

"They're innocent! Everyone in that town! How could they?!" Elsa shouted.

"Because they're evil…corrupt…insane…morality-depraved…LUNATICS!" Ignus hollered as he turned and ran. Embers flew off his arms as he ran. Elsa chased after him once again.

"Ignus, where are you going?!"

"To sink that ship!"

"Not by yourself, you're not!"

Ignus stopped and looked at Elsa. He contemplated his options. He could try to take out the ship alone. That would most likely not work and end up with him becoming shark food.

Option two: Let Elsa help. They stood a way better chance with her magic.

But she could get hurt. Or worse.

Ignus gave her a hard look. "No. I'm not letting you get hurt."

Elsa said nothing. Then, quick as a whip, she shot out her hands. Two columns of ice erupted and shot past the sides of Ignus' head. He stiffened, entirely unable to react.

Elsa looked at him coolly. "Actually, Ignus, I think it'll be _me _making sure _you_ don't get hurt."

And she continued to run, the columns of ice disappearing.

Ignus stood there for a millisecond. Then he shook his head quickly and sprinted after her. _That's what I get for trying to get between a Queen and her people._

The ghost of a smile passed over his mouth.

Elsa had instructed the guards to do everything they could to protect the citizens from the assault, evacuating them away from the ship's range and towards the castle. She then told a terrified Anna to remain in the castle with Kristoff. Anna had argued, wanting to help Elsa, but Elsa explained she'd be helping her the most by staying safe. Eventually, after making her promise five times that she'd be okay, Anna let Elsa leave.

Elsa began to run towards the ship when Ignus grabbed her hand.

"What are you-?"

"Elsa, calm down and listen. You go that way, you'll be torn apart by cannon fire before you can even get close."

He nodded in the direction of the lake.

"I have an idea."

They snuck down quietly to the other side of the fjord, the cannon fire of the River's ship still aimed away from them. After about ten minutes, they arrived at the beach.

Ignus turned to Elsa. "Can you freeze the water and make a path to the ship?"

Elsa nodded; trying not to think about the last time she had frozen the fjord.

She extended her hand as magic sparkled from it. A path of ice molded into a straight line towards the ship.

She took a step onto it, but Ignus stopped her. "No. We have to move as quickly as possible. As soon as they see us, they'll open fire with the swivel guns."

"Then how do you-"

"Like this." He picked up Elsa, princess-style, and jumped onto the ice.

"Wait, wh-what are you doing?" Elsa said.

She got her answer in the form of Ignus shooting fire from his elbows and heels, rocketing them towards the boat, sliding on the ice.

The wind stung Elsa's eyes as she tried to look forward.

"GET READY!" Ignus shouted over the wind. He launched off of the ice, flew about another 30 yards, and landed feet first on the deck of the ship.

He put Elsa down as every eye on the ship looked at them in shock. He deftly pulled out his sword.

"Stay close to me."

Elsa nodded, frightened, but determined.

Then the Rivermen attacked. One man swung at Elsa with his sword, but she raised a wall of ice, blocking it. She immediately created a fist of ice, which sprang out of the ground and connected with the man's jaw. He promptly went unconscious.

Another member tried to attack Ignus with knives in each hand, but he swiftly parried each one and grabbed his attacker's head, tossing him towards Elsa, who created a platform of ice beneath the member's feet and raised it, launching him off the ship and into the fjord.

Ignus shot out fire, blinding the Rivermen. Elsa then followed up with icy projectiles, which all hit their mark, knocking men off the ship left and right. They were unstoppable, creating a whirlwind of elemental power in the middle of the ship.

One member shouted, "This wasn't the plan!"

_You're darn right it wasn't, _thought Ignus.

In a matter of minutes, the deck was clear of Rivermen, who had been thrown overboard or knocked out. Elsa and Ignus looked at each other. Elsa was breathing heavily, a look of wild adrenaline on her face.

_It's probably weird of me to think that she looks extremely attractive like that._ Thought Ignus.

"Elsa, get off the ship! I'll be right behind you!"

Elsa hesitated.

"Seriously, I will! No tricks!"

She believed him. Creating a ramp, she slid off the ship and onto the frozen section of the Fjord.

Ignus concentrated hard, as fire swirled around his entire arm, making it appear like it was entirely made of fire. Jumping into the air, he shouted and plunged his fist into the ship.

The ship promptly split apart, every inch of it catching fire. The mast fell down and the sails burnt up. Ignus leaped from the ship and landed right next to Elsa.

They looked at each other a moment. Then they both let out a wild laugh and hugged each other.

"That was amazing! I can't believe you did all that!" Ignus shouted, spinning her around.

Elsa was beyond words. She felt like a force of nature. A not entirely inaccurate comparison.

Ignus then cleared his throat and set her down. "I mean, yeah. Nice." He smiled. "Nice work."

Elsa ran a hand through her hair. "We probably shouldn't be so thrilled about beating people senseless like that."

Ignus nodded. "Well…they weren't very nice people."

Elsa chuckled softly.

And yet…

Ignus looked at the ship. It was completely totaled.

And it had taken less than ten minutes.

"This was too easy…" He said, anxiety welling in him.

"What do you mean?" Elsa's look of elation faded.

"It doesn't make sense…they attack us head on, but assign the weakest men to man the ship? It's idiotic. It's not like them. This…"

Ignus froze. The Riverman's words came back to him.

_"This wasn't the plan!"_

"This was a distraction. They weren't expecting us. They thought the guards would come. They thought we'd retreat to…"

Elsa looked at him, panic-stricken.

"To the castle."

As if to accent her words, an explosion rang out in the night.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

_Anna_

_Anna._

_Anna Anna Anna Anna Anna Anna Anna Nononononononononononono_

Elsa ran faster than she ever had in her life. She shot through the streets of Arendelle like the wind, Ignus right behind her.

The castle was smoking.

Elsa was reliving her past, the moments after Hans lied about her sister's death.

She crashed through the entrance of the Castle.

"ANNA! ANNA!"

She screamed out into the halls. She could hear Ignus calling as well, but it wasn't his voice she sought.

"ELSA! Elsa, I'm…I'm okay!"

If it were possible to die from relief, Elsa would have dropped dead on the spot.

She ran into another hallway, away from the wreckage where the explosion had gone off, where she saw Anna sitting next to a table. She was covered in soot and her clothes were ripped, but she was unharmed.

Elsa ran to her and hugged her fiercely.

"Anna, oh my god, I…I thought you were…"

"No…El-Elsa I'm fine…" Anna's eyes were red from crying. "It's…It's…" She burst into tears. "Kristoff…."

Ignus couldn't feel his heartbeat for five seconds.

He ran to the table Anna was sitting on, where he saw Kristoff laying, eyes shut, several cuts on his face and body. His clothes were half-burnt.

A memory appeared in Ignus' head.

_I will stop them._

_I know it._

He had failed. He couldn't protect Kristoff. He had let this happen.

Elsa ran over to Kristoff's side. "Oh no…Kristoff, no…"

Anna was hysterical. "He…he…he protected me!" She wailed. "He heard the window open and saw some guys run outside through it, and then he pushed me out of the room a-and…" she stopped to shed some freshly made tears.

Ignus couldn't breathe as he asked, "Is…is he.."

"He's alive."

Kai had run up, a stethoscope around his ears. "He's been knocked unconscious from the blast, and it'll take him a couple weeks to fully recover…" He looked at Anna "But Princess, I swear to you on my life that Kristoff will be fine. And your majesty, thanks to the work of the guards, everyone was safely evacuated from the harbor. There were a few injured citizens, but no casualties."

Anna choked on a sob. Then she ran to Elsa and hugged her again, leaning her head on her shoulder.

"Thank you…thank you, Kai…"

Elsa felt tears at her own eyes. She was speechless. What had almost happened here today…it was too much to think about.

She turned to ask Ignus if he was all right, but saw that he was no longer standing there.

"Ignus?"

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

He couldn't hear his own footsteps. An odd buzzing filled his ears.

Ignus walked towards the dungeon, each step igniting the floor and leaving a burn mark. Fire crawled from his hands up his arms. His breathing was coming out in heavy bursts.

A fury like he had never known had seeped into his mind.

He kicked the door of the dungeon right off of it's hinges and stomped in. He turned sharply and looked at the bewildered guard.

"Out."

The guard obeyed immediately. Ignus raised a wall of fire behind him, blocking the exit.

Ignus slowly turned and looked at the cells. There were six Rivermen being kept prisoner here.

He needed a volunteer.

"The River's headquarters. Tell me."

He waited.

Then he heard a voice say, "Idiot boy."

Ignus turned and looked immediately at the man who had said the words.

"You'll do."

He opened the cell and locked the door behind him.

"Talk. Now." He ignited his hands, which were shaking with rage.

The Riverman looked up at him and smiled deviously.

"You think your fire scares me, boy? I know your rule.", he gloated.

Ignus was still for a moment. His hands stopped trembling. The image of Kristoff lying on the table appeared in his mind.

"I don't kill with my fire."

He threw his hood back up. His entire face became a shadow. His eyes were completely red, glowing like those of a demon's. His fire went black, burning maliciously in his hands.

The Riverman's courage evaporated.

"That doesn't mean I can't make you wish you were dead."

End Chapter 15


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note – I always knew the story would get a bit dark around the third quarter of it. And it may sound weird…but I think I enjoyed writing about the enraged Ignus the most out of any moment so far. It was a sort of vindictive pleasure. **

**Anyways, enjoy the next chapter of Singed. Bit short, but bear with me. Time to get pumped.**

**I feel the heat, but I do not own frozen.**

Chapter 16 – Return Fire

The explosion had destroyed only a minor part of the castle. It was the section Anna and Kristoff had been in.

The Bankmen who had snuck in had mistaken them for Elsa and Ignus, the intended targets.

Kristoff had been hospitalized. His injuries were not major, but they'd take time to heal. He was still weak, and responded to conversation with grunts and other noises.

Anna had not left his side since. She had asked to be brought meals so she could eat with Kristoff. She mainly passed the time by talking to Kristoff, who, ironically, finally had a proper excuse to not respond to her every word, much as he would have liked to.

Elsa couldn't sleep. She walked through the halls of the castle, frost lightly emitting from her body.

She was still terrified of the River. But now she felt cold and utter hatred towards them for hurting Kristoff and nearly killing Anna. It was despicable. Inhumane. Any sort of pity she felt for them had vanished. What they had done to her and Ignus was unforgivable.

Speaking of Ignus, she had searched for him for the last few hours, unable to find him. She hadn't seen him since he had left after finding out about Kristoff. She was a bit worried.

Looking to her left, she finally found him sitting on the edge of a balcony, the sunset directly behind him, giving the appearance of a silhouette.

He had his hood back up, and she couldn't see an inch of his face from the shadow it cast.

"Ignus…"

Ignus' hands were together, smoldering. He said nothing.

"You were there when Kai said Kristoff was okay, right? You know he'll recover."

Ignus said nothing.

Elsa stepped closer. "Please, Ignus. Talk to me. I…I can't stand it when you're like this…It's like you're a living shadow."

Ignus opened his eyes. Elsa's widened in shock.

There were no pupils in his eyes. Or white. Both of his eyes were glowing scarlet.

Ignus closed them again. "Sorry…I just didn't want you to see me like this. I…anger does things to me. To my fire. Changes it."

Elsa nodded. She remembered that night in her castle, when she almost killed two men with her ice out of anger and frustration.

"It's happened to me too. But…listen to me. We're going to find these people. And we're going to stop them."

Ignus' eyes flew open again. "That's what I told Kristoff."

Elsa blinked. "…what?"

"That's what I told him…exactly what I said. I'll stop them." Ignus stood up. His hands glowed.

"Right before…I let those River _scumbags_…" He turned around, his voice rising. "Completely HOODWINK me, SNEAK INTO THIS CASTLE, _AND NEARLY BLOW KRISTOFF OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH!_"

A stream of jet-black fire shot from his hands and into the orange sky.

Ignus slammed his hands onto the railing of the balcony, trying to calm himself.

Elsa walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, turning him towards her. She took off his hood.

"I care about Kristoff too. And I'm just as angry as you are." Ignus looked at his shoulder where Elsa's hand was. It was beginning to ice over.

Elsa kept looking into his eyes.

"But he's here. He's still alive. And Anna. And so are those people down at the harbor."

Ignus' eyes slowly reverted to their normal look.

Here he was, consumed by his emotions again. And there she was, pulling him out.

He needed her more than he realized.

He exhaled shakily.

"Yeah. You're right. Again…"

Ignus slid his hands down his face. When he took them away, his face was more controlled. Elsa breathed with relief.

"What we need to do now is take it to them."

Elsa looked at him, puzzled. "I agree, but we need to find out where their headquarters are first, don't we?"

Ignus said nothing. Then his mouth slowly spread into a smirk.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

"How on Earth did you get it?" Elsa asked in awe, as she and Ignus walked towards the throne room.

Ignus narrowed his eyes. "Those guys in the dungeon weren't as brave as you were. And I was angry at them."

Elsa was concerned. "What did you do?"

Ignus turned his head. "It's not what I did. It's what I said I would do. And how I looked. I doubt any of your guards were ever as scary-looking as I was at that moment."

Elsa was secretly relieved he hadn't done anything too rash.

They entered the main room, where the Captain stood, a map spread out onto the table. He looked up at the duo. He couldn't help but marvel at how intimidating they looked together.

"Captain." Elsa greeted him.

"Your majesty. And uh…" He wasn't sure how to address the boy.

Ignus seemed unsure as well. "Ignus is fine." He said, awkwardly.

"Very well. Ignus."

Ignus leaned over the map. "I got the location from the guy in the dungeon. He tried lying to me twice." Ignus' eyes sparked for a moment. "After he realized how much his fingers meant to him, he coughed up the real deal."

Ignus pointed at the map after a moment of searching. "Here. The plain between Arendelle and Corona. It's right up against the base of the mountains. And right in front of it?"

The Captain stared. "Of course…the Kraftig River. It's the largest and fastest river in the land."

"Exactly, Captain. But there lies the problem. We attack from the front, we have to go through the river. We attack from behind, and we have to climb through the mountains. It's defended by nature. Just as they would claim."

Elsa scrunched her head in thought.

"But…" she quietly said. "What if we were to attack both sides at the same time?"

Ignus looked at her. The Captain said, "Your majesty, wouldn't we still face the problems Ignus mentioned? What help would that be?"

Elsa nodded to herself, a plan stringing together. "We make two groups. The bulk of us will travel with me towards the front. What, you thought I would stay?" She said sharply to Ignus, who had opened his mouth to object. "I don't think so. Anyway, we will march towards the river, and I'll freeze it over, allowing us to cross."

"In the meantime, Ignus, you and a smaller group will travel around the fort. You have experience with mountains, and your powers should allow you to easily traverse the landscape."

Ignus nodded, understanding. "Yeah…and then we jump in, take them from surprise from behind, and you kick the front door down!" His face displayed his excitement. "Brilliant!"

Elsa tried not to blush. "I spent years reading about military tactics and strategy in the library. I hoped I never would have to use the knowledge."

The Captain banged the table in consent. "At last! The time's come to strike back at them!"

Elsa stood up straight, looking as regal as ever. "Captain! Ready the army. But only half of them. The rest I want to remain here, should anything occur."

The Captain bowed and exited the room.

Elsa looked at Ignus and exhaled, exhilarated. "This is finally it."

Ignus grinned at her. "Yeah. We should probably tell Anna now."

Elsa nodded, following him out of the room.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

"No."

"You can't be serious! There's no way I'm not coming with you!"

"Anna, I need you here! Without me, Arendelle looks to you!"

"I can't sit here while you do something like this! I need to be there with you! I need to help!"

Ignus kind of saw this coming.

Honestly, he couldn't blame Anna. He would be saying the exact same thing if Elsa told him she was about to storm the fortress of a dangerous cult.

"Anna, what about Kristoff? He needs you here too!"

That got Anna's attention. She looked completely torn.

Ignus decided to intervene.

"Anna." He put his hand on her arm and looked at her. "I _will_ keep Elsa safe. I will not let anything in that fortress, or anything between now and when she returns to you, hurt her."

Anna looked at him. "But what about you? I don't want both of you there in danger!"

Ignus felt a bit choked up. He didn't realize Anna had started to care about him so much.

"I made a promise with Elsa. No sacrifices. You understand? We're both coming back. And we're coming back victorious."

Elsa looked at Ignus. _How is he able to get Anna to listen so easily?_

Anna looked at them both. She wiped her face with her sleeve and nodded. "Okay…okay. What do I do? I mean, while I'm here at the castle?"

"Stay alert. Every guard is on shift. Any suspicious characters around the castle are to be investigated." Elsa said, very authoritatively.

"Basically, just be careful for any more River activity." Ignus said gently.

Anna nodded, a look of determination on her face. "I will."

Elsa smiled warmly and hugged her. Anna leaned against her shoulder. "Kick their butts, okay, Elsa?"

"I will. Don't you worry."

Anna sniffed and withdrew. She then gave a very surprised Ignus a hug. "You too. Set their pants on fire for me, ok?"

Ignus laughed and hugged her back. "Anything for you, pigtails."

The Captain entered the room. "Your majesty…we're ready."

Ignus looked at Elsa. He gave her a small smile. "I'm glad you'll be there. I couldn't do this without you." There was no trace of shyness in his voice.

In that moment, Elsa felt like she could have fought the entire fortress single-handedly.

"Nor I without you." She said back to him.

They looked out at the door. Simultaneously, they walked forward, towards battle, towards the enemy.

They had been hit time and time again by the River.

It was time to hit back.

End Chapter 16


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note – I wanted to include this part, but I couldn't put it in the last one and I don't think it'd work well in the next. So, it's a little extra chapter.**

**Concisely, I don't own Frozen.**

Chapter 16.5 – The Calm

Ignus had taken the last two hours to contemplate how much he hated horses.

Traveling by himself, he had always only relied on his own feet and fire to get him places. That was the way he liked it. Bouncing around like this…he thought he might be sick.

Yet he wasn't travelling alone anymore. The Arendellian Army was behind him, all dressed in subtle colors, so as not to attract too much attention. Elsa rode next to him, and he had snuck glances every now and then simply to marvel at her combat attire.

She was wearing armored leggings and boots, with a skirt going down to a little bit above her knees. Her chest-plate gleamed silver, made out of thick ice. She wore gauntlets on her arms, but kept her hands unprotected so her magic could be used freely. She had left her tiara behind, wearing nothing on her head, her single braid flying out behind as she rode forward.

_Beautiful and fearsome. _Ignus thought. He felt a burst of confidence.

The army rode on, finally coming to a halt about a mile from their location after Elsa ordered them to stop.

The General rode up to her. He was a large man, had a rather brilliant moustache, and was very loyal to the Queen.

"Why have we stopped, Queen Elsa?"

Elsa turned her horse around and looked at him. "Ignus and I have a plan to carry out. We're going to split up here. He will travel up the side of the mountain with a small team and attack the rear of the River's headquarters, which we will call the Dam, and take them by surprise. He will then launch a signal using his fire, which will begin our assault on the front."

Ignus jumped off of his horse. _Finally_.

"I'm ready to go. Just let me get my teammate."

Elsa looked at him, puzzled. "What do you mean, team_mate_? As in, one person?"

"Well, not exactly…"

He pointed at whom he was speaking about.

Elsa's eyes could have popped out. "That's…he was there the whole time?!"

Ignus was giddily laughing, clearly pleased with his surprise. "Ooooh, yes. You want to take them by surprise? This is how you do it."

Elsa shook her head at the man. She couldn't believe his gall. It made her want to kiss him.

Elsa stopped, realizing that that was the first time she felt that urge.

Ignus didn't notice. "Anyways…" He looked at Elsa, determination in his eyes. "We'll go around and send the signal."

He gazed upon her beautiful face, then reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Elsa's ear. "You take care, alright? I'm not losing you now."

She stiffened. Then she grabbed his hand and held it in hers.

"Please. Please be careful, Ignus." _Come back to me._

And she kissed him on the cheek. Ignus could feel her cool lips touch his warm face.

He looked like he had just been struck by lightning. He stood there a moment, staring at nothing, then jumped back to reality.

"Uh…yeah. I…I will." It looked like his face was a beet from how red it was.

Then he pulled himself together. "You ready?" he asked her, his hand glowing with fire.

Ice began to flow freely out of Elsa's hand. "Yes."

She shot it towards Ignus as he shot his fire towards her. They met in the between the two, releasing steam into the air, creating an enormous mist that descended upon the Dam.

It was time to begin.

End Chapter 16.5


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note – I won't be saying much from now until the end. I want to focus on landing this thing. Aside from thank you for reading, of course. Reviews are always appreciated.**

**Fun fact, real quick: I started Singed one week ago. Since then I have made 17 chapters and gotten over 7,000 views.**

**Holy cheese on rye. Thanks.**

** -TheStanfordExperiment**

**We got no food, we got no job, and I do not own Frozen.**

Chapter 17 – Bad Day

This was more than Siv had signed up for.

He had joined this cult, this…River organization because of the promise of one, simple thing.

Cash.

He had been an aimless mercenary for years, until he heard about some crazy group trying to get people together for god-knows-what. He hadn't paid the slightest mind. That is, until the pay came up.

Then he gave his full attention.

He had attended a meeting, where some crackpot calling himself "The Channel" had introduced himself as the leader of the "River" and they were all to give him their absolute respect and loyalty, and hunt down one boy.

Siv had snorted inside his head. Another guy next to him snorted out loud.

The Channel had promptly broken the man's arms in front of the crowd.

They all had learned since then not to trifle with him.

And now Siv was on his way to his office.

Being one of the more talented hired thugs, he was promoted to a Bankman position.

Good because he got paid more.

Bad because he had to report directly to The Channel.

He entered the dark room. There were very few things in the office, save for a few posters of the Queen and the fire brat.

The Channel was sitting behind a desk, waiting patiently.

"Siv."

Siv said nothing, eyeing the Channel with caution.

"Sit down."

"I'd rather stand."

"How noble of you. Now sit."

Siv obeyed.

The Channel looked at him directly in the eyes. They were full of hatred and cold mercilessness.

"I am told the attack on the castle was a failure."

Siv started to sweat.

"That is correct. The cannons successfully distracted the guards, but the Queen and the fire brat came out to deal with it personally, rather than staying in the castle as predicted. The attack instead nearly killed the princess and her flame, the blond idiot."

The Channel said nothing. His entire body seemed to be growing tighter.

"And what about them? The princess and her lover? Did they die?"

"No, sir. The idiot mountain man saw two of the Bankmen flee and it tipped him off. He was injured, however."

"But then the Bankmen returned and killed them once they had realized the bomb had failed, correct?"

Siv blinked. "Uh…no, sir. The targets were the elementals, I thought."

The Channel stood. "That is correct. And once it had been made clear that they were not an option, certainly the men returned to see that the attack was not a total, and utter waste?"

Siv said nothing.

"Siv." The Channel walked over to him. "I am a man who does not walk away without having my say. I do not go quietly into the night. I accomplish my goals. And, in the extraordinarily rare case that I do, in fact, fail, I make sure that I have left a mark that will never leave. So that everyone remembers my attempt."

The Channel was now standing directly in front of the terrified Siv.

"So…let me explain to you what you do when you cannot kill someone."

He grabbed Siv's throat with both hands, lifting him off the ground, choking him. Siv made several strangled noises.

"You make them _suffer_." The Channel whispered through clenched teeth as Siv gasped for air. "You make them _remember_. You do not let them get away _scot-free_. You leave a wound that _festers_, and _burns_, and leaves a scar that they will _always have._"

Siv tried to hit back, to fight him, but his throat was being crushed…

"If you fail to kill the Queen, then you kill her sister. Her friend. Her lover. _Anything. _If you can't end her life, then you MAKE IT A LIVING HELL!_ DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!?" _Froth appeared at the corners of the Channel's mouth.

Siv made a choked grunt.

"Good."

The Channel dropped Siv, who gasped and spluttered for air, crawling away from the madman.

"I've had it with this idiot cult's stupidity" The Channel said. "Tell them all that we shall assault Arendelle tomorrow head-on. With everything we have."

Siv looked at him while massaging his throat, not believing what he was hearing. "They'll completely wipe us out!"

"Maybe. But the Queen will suffer. And with her suffering, so too shall the boy."

"Now get out."

Siv looked at him a moment longer, regretting ever setting foot in this madhouse. Then he left.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Siv walked out onto a walkway near the back of the fort. He was still massaging his neck and he couldn't think straight, out of fear, fury and anxiety.

He leaned against the wall, trying to find his pipe.

"You look like you just had a talk with the big man."

Another Bankman was standing next to him, the symbol of the River on his sleeve.

"Yeah? What's it to you?"

"Nothing, nothing, just…man, things are messed up around here."

"Yeah. Maybe."

"I mean, why does he want that kid so much anyway? What's he mean to him?"

"I don't care much, frankly."

"You aren't the least bit curious?"

"No. And if I were you, I'd shut your gob right about now, lest I stick a knife through it."

"Okay! Okay, relax. Sorry. Just trying to talk."

Siv looked out over the fortress. A thick fog had descended on the plain, making it impossible to see farther than the wall of the fort. He always hated fog.

He pulled out his pipe and tried to find a match.

"You need a light?" asked the Bankman next to him.

Siv looked at him. Then, he grudgingly nodded.

"No problem." The Bankman promptly lit the end of his thumb on fire.

The pipe fell out of Siv's mouth.

"Y…you?!"

The Bankman grinned devilishly. "Howdy."

And he head-butted Siv, knocking him out cold.

Ignus threw off the coat he had stolen, pulled up his hood, and rubbed out the mark on his arm, extinguishing the fire on his thumb. It was, to his shame, great fun to fool the guard like that.

He turned and looked to his left, where two Rivermen walked out onto the walkway.

"Hey!"

"What are you-what's going on?"

They ran up to Ignus, crossbows pointed at him.

"Okay, okay, hang on." Ignus raised his hands in surrender. "Now, I agree, seeing a weird guy like me in a place like this, it'd probably make you freak out a little bit, but I think you should keep your priorities straight."

The Riverman stared at him, utterly perplexed. One said, "And what is more important than capturing you right now?"

Ignus put a hand on the back of his hood and breathed in thoughtfully. "Ah, well, I dunno….maybe not standing next to that particular pile of snow?"

The men turned and looked at the pile of snow they had walked next to.

It stared right back.

Marshmallow gave a roar of fury and slammed his fists into both of the guards, sending them flying off of the walkway.

"OH YEAH, BABY! THAT'S RIGHT!" Ignus whooped. "You want to take someone by surprise?! Bring your own giant, killer snow monster!"

Marshmallow beat his chest, roaring in agreement.

Ignus jumped onto his back. "Now let's KICK THIS THING OFF!" he shouted, his eyes alight with fire and wild adrenaline.

And he shot an enormous, blinding ball of red fire into the sky.

**()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

Elsa looked up into the sky, seeing an enormous flash of red.

She steeled her nerves.

"CHARGE!" She shouted to the Arendellian army.

A deafening cry arose from the army as they charged forwards towards the gates of the fortress, hidden by the fog.

The Rivermen had immediately heard the noise and ran to the upper part of the gates, aiming their crossbows forward, but they couldn't see anything through the fog.

Then a gigantic pillar of ice erupted from the ground and smashed through the gates of the Dam, sending them flying back as the army of Arendelle broke through and attacked the bewildered Rivermen.

Elsa had instructed them to stay as non-lethal as possible, but if worst came to worst, they had to think of themselves and their comrades first.

Elsa jumped off her horse and into the fray. She raised her hands as frost glowed around her. Every nerve in her body was on edge, ready to react.

A Riverman ran at her, sword raised, but she shot a ball of ice at it, knocking it out of his hands, followed by dropping a heavy block of ice on him. She then ran forward, firing her magic at anyone she could, thinking of what they did to her, to Anna, to Kristoff, and to Ignus. And how she would not allow them to harm anyone else.

She hit a man over the head with an ice hammer. She froze the ground so men slipped on it as they ran towards her, and then threw them to the side into a wall with an ice barrier. Her powers seemed to be working with her, trying to aid her in her fight, like they were alive.

Left and right she put Rivermen on the ground, using any type of weapon she could imagine. Then an arrow whizzed by her head, cutting a single hair from her braid.

She whirled around and saw a Bankman, his crossbow pointed directly at her head. His eyes narrowed, and he drew his sword out and charged at Elsa.

Elsa shot more magic at him, but the Bankman was more skilled than the rest. He dodged each of them and swung at Elsa, who dove aside, not accustomed to dodging attacks.

She turned around on the ground as the Bankman raised his sword again. A cold frost shot from her arms and crept up the man's sword, which began to crack. It finally shattered into a hundred, frozen pieces.

The man looked at his stump of a sword in bewilderment. Seizing the chance, Elsa instinctively created an ice object above the man's head, not caring what it was, so long as it would be enough to floor him.

An enormous Ice chandelier fell onto the Bankman. He went still, letting out a weak groan.

Elsa stared at the shattered chandelier in surprise.

_Well, it worked pretty well on me_. She thought.

And she ran off again, joining the army.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

It was totally worth it, persuading the soldiers to pull a huge wagon full of snow, thought Ignus. Heck, it was worth it just to see Elsa's reaction.

It was also worth it because Marshmallow was truly acting at odds with his name.

He looked as fearsome as could be, with ice spikes coming out of his head, shoulders and hands as he pounded Rivermen into the ground, the arrows and knives completely harmless against him. He knocked his attackers aside like twigs. Those who tried to get in close to hit him were headed off by Ignus.

Ignus had traded his small club, which was good for one-man fights, for a rounded mace Elsa had made for him using the strongest ice she could summon. He had then lit it on fire, using his magic to keep it eternally burning.

_Why? Because it looks freaking awesome, that's why_, thought Ignus, showing his geeky side.

He dual wielded this enchanted mace with his own sword, which was also ablaze. This way, when it cut, it would immediately cauterize wounds that it left. It would hurt like crazy, but it would keep the Rivermen alive.

Ignus deftly bashed in the heads of more Rivermen, parrying and blocking all of their attacks with his sword and countering with the mace. He was a fiery whirlwind of destruction.

The Rivermen had started to back off, trying to snipe Ignus with arrows. Those that weren't blocked by Marshmallow, Ignus burnt to ashes before they could make contact.

Ignus heard a noise that sounded like a fuses being lit. He was spot-on, as he looked up and saw a Bankman light a small bag from a balcony, which burst into flames. The Bankman then hurled it at Marshmallow, who was engulfed in fire.

Marshmallow roared in pain as the fire melted his body, leaving his upper torso unattached to his melted feet.

Ignus, furious at this assault on his frosty friend, turned into fire, shot up the balcony and materialized right behind the Bankman. Before the sap even knew what had happened, he was on the ground, out cold.

Ignus jumped from the balcony and slowed his descent with fire. He ran over to Marshmallow, who appeared to be okay, save the fact that he was now in two pieces.

"You okay, big guy?" Ignus asked him, concerned.

Marshmallow nodded at him vigorously. "Be…fiiine…You goooo…help mamaaa bead evil meehn." He started crawling towards his lower half.

Ignus didn't want to leave him there, but he heard a loud shout in the middle of the fortress, followed by the sound of Elsa's magic.

"Stay out of sight until you've pulled yourself together!" Ignus said, running towards the sound. _Puns?! Really?! Now?!_

He ran onto a rooftop and sprinted towards the edge, but stopped as an arrow zoomed by his head.

He came to a halt. That arrow missed him on purpose.

He turned around and saw large warrior, covered in armor and carrying a huge greatsword and an empty crossbow, walking towards him. He had a helmet on with the symbol of the River painted crudely across it.

Ignus took out his weapons and held them at his sides. "You look important."

The man said nothing.

Ignus looked at him. "Are you just gonna stand there? I know you didn't shoot that arrow at me to say 'hi'." He entered a combat position.

"I…am the Channel. And I have waited a very, very long time to kill you, devil." He threw the crossbow aside.

His voice was raspy and deep. It matched his appearance.

Ignus narrowed his eyes, unshaken. "I hate to disappoint, _Channel_…but you may have waited in vain."

And he charged at him.

End Chapter 17


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N – More will follow. Had to make this chapter short.**

**-TheStanfordExperiment**

**Hey, wait, I got a new complaint, and I do not own Frozen.**

Chapter 18 – The Green Wound

Ignus' blade crashed against the Channel's greatsword.

Sparks flew in the air like burning snow as the two fought, Ignus striking every which way like a storm, the Channel like a boulder, immovable and defensive.

_This guy's in charge for a reason, _Ignus thought.

The greatsword flashed maliciously as it rained blow after blow upon Ignus, who could barely block the strong attacks. The Channel's defense was absolute.

Ignus swiped at him with the mace, but the Channel grabbed it mid-swing with his armored hand. He clenched it, and the mace shattered.

Ignus held up the broken weapon. He looked at the Channel, narrowing his eyes. He really liked that mace.

With a shout, Ignus charged him again, igniting his free hand. He shot fire from it, blasting the Channel back, though he stayed on his feet. Ignus followed with a series of slashes with his blade, all of which were expertly blocked by the Channel. Nothing was working against him.

_Well, _Ignus thought, _Nothing yet._

Ignus sliced once again, this time following up by dashing in close and delivering a staggering punch with his ignited hand, hitting the Channel hard.

The Channel staggered, but quickly regained his balance and, with unbelievable speed, backhanded Ignus with a closed fist, who went sprawling away.

Ignus coughed and got to his feet again, his head spinning and his ears ringing. He had to change it up somehow.

He shot fire at the Channel again, who blocked it with his greatsword. Moving quickly, Ignus turned himself into an inferno, sped around the Channel, and materialized at his back, about to land a hit.

The Channel held his greatsword behind his back so that Ignus' sword ricocheted off of it. He then swung around and slammed his fist into Ignus' stomach.

Ignus could feel his lunch coming up to his mouth to say hello. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath, when the Channel kicked him in the ribs, hard. Ignus flew back towards the edge of the rooftop.

Elsa had just finished freezing an unfortunate Riverman to the ceiling of a building (upside down) when she caught sight of Ignus, collapsed at the edge of the roof, an enormous man with an even bigger weapon approaching him.

Everything else abandoned her mind. She had to get to him.

She ran in his direction, but was headed off by more Rivermen, all of whom had now begun to throw fire bags at her, believing the fire would somehow counter her ice.. As if that actually helped them.

Frustrated, she tried to create a path over them, but arrows cut her off. If she tried to take the high ground she'd become a pincushion. She had to stay low and go through them head on.

"Ignus! Hold on!" She cried, as she pummeled he Rivermen with enormous hail.

Ignus thought he heard Elsa's voice, but he soon stopped thinking about it, as the Channel had grabbed him by the throat and lifted him.

"You…have you any idea how long I've dreamt about seeing the life drain slowly out of your face?"

Ignus gave him a hateful look. "I couldn't care less", he spat. He then self-immolated.

The Channel let out a furious grunt as he threw Ignus away from him. Ignus grabbed his sword and dashed for him again, concentrating all the fire he had in his body towards his blade, bringing it crashing towards the Channel.

The Channel's greatsword was able to block the blade, but Ignus' fire swept through and knocked the Channel to the ground.

Ignus breathed heavily, feeling the effects of the fight. He braced himself for more.

The Channel stood, silent once more.

He then struck out with speed Ignus had never seen.

Ignus could only block so much of the attack. He felt the cold steel of the greatsword cut through his skin.

Ignus groaned in pain and collapsed, feeling the gash in his side. It was not fatal by itself, but he was now defenseless, losing blood, and altogether, in a very, very bad place.

The Channel walked up to him, the greatsword dragging along the ground beside him. He grabbed Ignus' throat, lifting him again and looked him in the eye.

Ignus stared back at him. Confusion clouded his mind. Why did this man want so desperately to kill him?

"What do you want with me? Why chase me all these years? What did I ever do to you?!" he shouted.

Silence. Then…

"What you always have done, you cursed wretch. You burned me."

And he removed his helmet.

Ignus stared into the face of a man in his forties, with dark brown eyes, greying hair and an extremely grotesque burn on the side of his face.

A burn Ignus himself had put there.

Ignus was staring into the face of the Duke from his past.

End Chapter 18


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note – I'd like to say sorry to guest waitwhat for making him/her cry because of my story. And congrats to kramer53 for single-handedly bringing my big reveal crashing around my ears. Also thanks to everyone else for the review and favorites and follows. **

**-TheStanfordExperiment**

**I got a safety torch, but I do not own Frozen.**

Chapter 19 – What Was Stolen

Ignus' brain already felt like it had been thrown under a stampede from the battle.

Now _this?!_

He couldn't make words as he stared into the aged face of the man from his past, the man who had killed his parents, and the life Ignus once knew.

And now he was back again.

Ignus clenched his teeth in hatred. "You? This whole time it was _you_?!"

The Duke/Channel stared at him loathingly, then threw him across the rooftop. Ignus landed hard on his arm.

"It was always me. Ever since the day you destroyed what I had built, I followed you."

"What _I _destroyed?! You killed my parents, you sick psycho!"

The Duke said nothing, walking slowly towards Ignus.

"You were aware of my past, yes, fire brat? You knew what life was like for me."

Ignus spat, red drops dripping from his mouth. "Yeah, I know. You were a scummy mercenary. You lived like an animal. It was more than you deserved."

"I lived like I wasn't alive. It was utter hell. I spent days gathering enough money to feed myself with by killing others for petty money. My background was too depraved for those of wealthier stature to ever consider hiring me. I ate dirt, I slept on sidewalks, I was cursed and ridiculed by pathetic, weak townspeople." The Duke's teeth ground loudly.

"That was, until I discovered a mineral deposit. When my life became something more."

"You mean when you went from a morality-depraved rat into a slightly-wealthier morality-depraved rat?" Ignus said, viciously.

"Silence. I found my fortune, selling the valuable rocks I had discovered. Gunpowder above all was my meal ticket. I had discovered a secret vault of the rare weapon, and every army, every country wanted a share. They paid me top dollar, until I was richer than I had ever been before."

"I trained, day in and day out, to stay intimidating and fearsome. To keep my competitors away, and if they ever got to close…" His greatsword flashed. "They'd regret it."

"But soon, as with everything, my luck began to run dry. I had started to run out of things to sell. Supply was dropping, and soon I'd have nothing left."

"Until we came across your pathetic farm."

Ignus' eyes flashed with anguish.

"A lifetime's supply of minerals, simply laying beneath the feet of three idiot bumpkins. I thought I could persuade your father to a deal, pay him off for a fraction of what the land was worth. He certainly looked stupid enough to believe me."

The ground around Ignus had begun to smoke.

"But he refused my offer. So I gave him a bigger one. He refused again. Time and time again, he did not agree."

"He saw through your deceit." Ignus said, bitingly.

"No. He was a stubborn old fool, putting his pride before his needs. Before his family's needs." The Duke's eyes fell upon Ignus', which were full of intense flames.

"So I went for the more effective approach. I tried to force him off the land. And then…" his hand went to the burn mark on his face, "…you decided to be a big boy."

"I used to regret doing that." Ignus said, narrowing his red eyes. "Recently, though, someone helped me understand that what you did was not because of my anger. It was because of your greed and lack of a human soul. And I gotta say, that mark looks as ugly as it did the first day I put it there."

The Duke's hands clenched.

"I had sworn to myself that I would never go back to my life before. That life of a rat…living for scraps. I refused to let a foolish old man and his insipid family get in my way."

"So I burned down your precious farm, knowing that you'd receive the blame because of your curse. I knew the villagers would chase you out."

"But what you didn't know," Ignus interrupted, looking like his entire body was about to erupt into flames from his fury, "was that I was coming for you. To pay you back in full."

The Duke said nothing.

"And we all remember how that went, right?"

Images flashed into Ignus' mind. How he had torn through the Duke's defenses like tissue paper. How he had let his sorrow and anger shoot out of his body with his fire, torching everything the Duke had.

"I left you with _nothing_." Ignus whispered through clenched teeth. "Making you the _rat _you always have been once again."

They stared at each other. I was impossible to tell who held more hatred for the other.

"I had one thing." The Duke slowly replied. "I had you."

Ignus' gave him a disgusted look. "What?!"

"The knowledge that you were alive. It gave me new purpose. One purpose."

The Duke slammed his greatsword to the ground.

"To make you suffer for the rest of your life. Every moment of every day you would be in pain, from hunger, thirst, physical or mental."

"What little money I had left I used to infiltrate this pathetic cult. Its leaders immediately welcomed me. They were thrilled to hear that I sought nothing more than to wipe out one who had been cursed with fire."

"After the leaders took a permanent leave of absence," the blood on the rooftop seemed to shine for a moment, "I took over. I used the cult to steal gunpowder, which I sold illegally to build us up. To make us stronger. I hired mercenaries, assassins, cutthroats, psychos, anyone who would agree to kill for money."

Ignus' eyes shook. Eddie's words came back to him.

_People started getting paid off to join. Mercenaries. Cutthroats. It was turning into a madhouse full of loons. They got better weapons, more bodies._

"You…you were the one who upgraded the River."

The Duke, again, remained silent.

"You sent them to chase me for years…to make my life miserable…"

"I sent them to make you afraid. They were never to kill you. Only to beat you within inches of your life, if possible."

Ignus suddenly realized something.

"Elsa."

His eyes went scarlet.

"Why…were you after…Elsa?"

The Duke said nothing. Then he smirked, evilly.

"When I heard about the Queen and her powers, I knew you'd be drawn to each other. Two devils, walking the Earth together, how could they not?"

"Don't call her that."

"At first I wanted nothing more than to make sure you knew that there was another like you. And then kill her before your eyes, throwing you into complete isolation. The avalanche and Bankmen were supposed to do that."

"But then…something even more brilliant happened. You saved her life. And she started to fall in love with you."

Ignus' eyes widened.

"And you with her. It was more than I ever dreamed."

He raised his greatsword.

"Know this. When you die here, at my hands, it will not be until I force you to watch the life slowly seep out of her wretched body."

Ignus' face was a shadow.

"You tried to kill Anna, Kristoff and Elsa…just to make me suffer?"

The Duke looked at him, the smirk gone from his face.

"That is correct. And it appears that I succeeded with that last bomb."

Ignus' eyes burst open, glowing like blood-soaked suns.

His body erupted into an inferno of black fire, Ignus howling in fury it did so.

"_I'LL KILL YOU!"_

He shot towards the Duke, crashing his fist into his gut.

The Duke staggered back and swung at him with his greatsword, which grazed Ignus' shoulder. Ignus didn't notice.

The pain all but gone from his mind, Ignus fought like a demon, accenting each of his strikes with pitch-black fire and a guttural howl.

The Duke was unfazed.

"You think you can beat me with your fire? I've gotten reports on you for years! Every time you fought with my Bankmen and were foolish enough to let them live they reported back to me on your moves. I trained specifically to kill you, devil. And this armor was forged specifically to smother your flames! And this sword, Stryk, was created for the sole purpose of extinguishing your pathetic flames from this world forever!"

Ignus' only response was his infuriated attacks. He didn't notice that the Duke's words rang true, that his fire licked against the metal plates harmlessly, that he was slowly being pushed back by the Duke's counters.

He only noticed when the Duke slammed him across the face with the butt of Stryk.

Ignus crashed to the ground, his fire normal once again, and slowly disappearing. His sword skittered away and fell off the roof.

The Duke strode towards him, each footstep ringing maliciously.

"You will remain here as I retrieve the girl. And then I will kill her in front of you. And then I will put this blade through your worthless heart."

"No. You won't."

A blue streak shot towards the Duke's chest, hitting him dead-on and sending him flying back.

Ignus, with difficulty, looked up and saw Elsa, her hair plastered to her forehead with sweat, but unharmed.

Elsa ran towards Ignus and helped him up. She blinked back tears at the sight of how beaten he was.

"I'm here, I'm here, Ignus. You're okay." She whispered in a panicky voice.

Ignus could only smile at her.

Suddenly, Elsa looked up sharply, causing Ignus to do the same. The Duke had gotten to his feet.

He clutched his frozen chestplate. "Cursed wench." He growled.

Elsa narrowed her eyes at him. Ignus looked at her, silently pleading her not to fight him.

Elsa looked at him once again, and gave him a small smile. "No sacrifices. Don't worry."

Then she got to her feet and shot a frozen pillar, conjured out of thin air, towards the Duke, who had to roll out of the way, barely dodging it.

He turned back to Elsa, bewildered. She didn't let up.

She shot ice at the ground, which turned into hands, pummeling the Duke, who could only block so many. She froze the ground beneath his feet, causing him to slip and fall, and then followed up by dropping a frozen weight onto him.

The Duke was utterly overwhelmed. He had trained to fight Ignus' fast and furious fire style. Elsa's magic was unpredictable and diverse. He just couldn't keep up.

Elsa raised a pillar under his feet, throwing him into the air, and then created a tree of ice below him. The Duke hit almost every branch on the way down.

"That was for the Kingdom you nearly buried."

She shot another blue streak of magic, which knocked Stryk out of the Duke's hands.

"That was for tying my sister to a chair."

Hail rained heavily down upon the Duke.

"That was for hurting Kristoff!"

She slammed a gigantic fist of snow into him.

"That was for trying to kill me!"

She picked up Ignus, and held him next to her. She raised a hand, frost and wind swirling around it, building up.

"And this…this is for the inhumane suffering you have put Ignus through."

She looked at Ignus, who looked back, completely in awe of her fight.

"Ignus?"

"Wha-? Oh…oh yeah, right."

He held up his arm next to hers, fire building in his fist, pointed towards the Duke.

"This is for my family. And for everything you've done to Elsa."

Fire and ice blended together between their outstretched arms, connecting together to form a purple, glowing magic.

The Duke looked up, on his knees, gasping for breath from Elsa's icy onslaught. There was nothing but utter loathing in his eyes. He got up and ran towards them, yelling and raising Stryk.

"Now!" shouted Ignus.

The purple magic shot from their arms, hitting the Duke square in the chest, sending him flying over the rooftop, down to the ground. They heard him scream as he fell, the purple magic covering his body, enveloping him, before finally flashing into a brilliant burst of color.

Ignus and Elsa stood there, breathless, looking out at the battlefield. The Rivermen had either surrendered or fled. Everyone that remained was captured and put in chains.

Ignus looked at Elsa. "We need to get them out of the Dam." He said, his voice a bit shaky.

Elsa looked at him, confused by his choice of words after what they had just done. "Why?"

Ignus closed his eyes and breathed in. "I'm going to evaporate this River."

Elsa looked at him, and then nodded. She created a ramp of ice and slid down to the ground, ordering the Arendellian army to retreat outside the Dam.

Ignus waited for the army to exit. It took about 15 minutes. He found his sword and sheathed it.

Then he looked down at the ground, closed his eyes, and let the fire that had burned within him since the day he started running burst from his body.

It was like a bomb went off. Fire blew out over the walls of the Dam, destroying every building, setting fire to every wall, every inch of what used to be the hideout of his greatest enemy.

Elsa looked at the inferno, waiting with held breath. It was like watching every worry in her body catch fire and burn away.

Then the fire subsided, leaving the Dam in a state of destruction, never able to hold an army or any cult ever again.

Elsa watched as Ignus slowly walked out of the falling ash, like he was walking through a light snowfall.

Ignus reached the army and looked at Elsa.

He gave her a small smile.

Elsa said nothing. Then she ran forward and nearly crushed him in a hug.

"We…we did it." She said in an awe-struck

Ignus hugged her back. "I know." He put his head aganst hers.

"Thank you."

The Arendellian army cheered thunderously as Elsa and Ignus continued to hold each other, the sun setting behind them, casting a light glow over the plains, as if the sky itself was celebrating their victory.

End Chapter 19


	21. Chapter 21

**I do not own Frozen**

Chapter 20 – Homecoming

The Arendellian army had ridden for about two hours before they arrived at Arendelle. Ignus was at the front, once again on a horse, to his chagrin. He wished he could have ridden Marshmallow, who was once again in one piece, trudging alongside the army.

The upside was that Elsa rode with him.

She had since fallen asleep leaning against his chest, her beautiful silver-blonde hair tickling his neck, her hands hugging herself. She had put her gloves back on. The other soldiers couldn't help but laugh at the goofy smile on Ignus' shy face.

He didn't care what they thought. He could have smiled for the rest of his life. The River was gone.

He felt like he could breathe again, that he didn't need to look around every corner trying to anticipate enemies. It was a new feeling, and somewhat unwelcome to his hyper-sensitive body.

_I'll get used to it_, Ignus thought, contently.

They entered the town square, the townspeople around them applauding the arrival of the victorious army and it's Queen.

He gently nudged Elsa awake, her eyes blinking as she stretched, rather un-regally.

"Ignus…are we back?"

Ignus nodded towards the crowd around them. "Maybe."

Elsa's eyes opened fully as she looked at the crowd around them. She smiled broadly and waved back at the cheering citizens. Then her hand shrunk back and she looked timidly at Ignus.

"They saw me sleeping against you, didn't they?"

Ignus' face went red. "Uh…yeah. They might have."

Ignus expected her to shyly scoot away. He did not expect her to smile in surrender and lean back against him.

Ignus checked to make sure his face wasn't literally on fire.

They broke away from the army and rode towards the castle, where they stopped and dismounted, Ignus taking a few awkward steps as he tried to get blood moving through his legs again after riding the horse.

The general rode up to Elsa "M'lady, might we quickly discuss the prisoners' fates? We also must address the public about the outcome of the battle."

Elsa's face fell. Ignus knew she wanted to see Anna as soon as possible.

"Tell you what," Ignus said to her, "I'll go in and tell them your back, then come back out and help you with all this."

Elsa smiled at him gratefully. "I'd appreciate it a lot."

Ignus shrugged one shoulder. "Nah, no problem. Really. Back in a flash."

He headed up into the castle.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Ignus wasn't sure where to begin with Kristoff and Anna.

Maybe start with assuring Anna that Elsa was fine and then discuss the battle? Or maybe talk about the Duke? He felt he should explain his past a little bit to them, as it was partly his fault that the Duke came after them.

Ignus' spirits sunk as he thought about what he had just contemplated. He had caused the Duke to attack them…

He shook himself. Elsa would never blame him for that and wouldn't want him to blame himself. He straightened up and walked towards the room where Kristoff was resting. He figured Anna would be there as well.

Suddenly a pang of anxiety coursed through him.

What if the River had attacked while they were away?

What If this was just another of the Duke's plans?

Panic welled within him as he walked faster.

_Whoa whoa whoa! Slow down! _Ignus thought to himself. _How paranoid can you get? _He slowed his breathing, trying to calm down his heart.

Then he heard Anna scream.

Ignus moved so fast he could have left an afterimage.

He rocketed through the halls of the castle, his clothes catching fire out of sheer terror.

_No, no, no, no, nooooo…._

_How could I have been so stupid?!_

_Elsa will never forgive me!_

_Please, please let me be in time!_

He ran towards the final door and slammed through it, drawing his sword. "GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU-"

He took a minute to contemplate what he was seeing.

Kristoff, appearing fully healed, was sitting In his hospital bed, holding out a small box towards Anna, who had both hands on her mouth, a look of pure elation in her eyes. The box had a ring inside it.

Ignus' insides flew through the center of the Earth, went for a round trip, and came right back up.

For a minute, the most agonizing silence Ignus had ever experienced lingered.

Then Ignus sheathed his sword, coughed once and said, "Uh…congrats!"

Kristoff looked like his brain had just imploded. "She…uh…she didn't answer yet."

"Oh."

Ignus looked at Anna. Then he gestured towards Kristoff, hastily.

Anna whirled between the two. Her poor mind must have been completely overwhelmed.

"Uh…wait…oh! Oh, right! Yes! Yes! Sorry, I just…yes, Kristoff! Of course I will!" She finally managed to squeak out as she ran forward and hugged Kristoff madly.

Kristoff breathed out heavily. "Well, that's one way to remember a proposal…"

Ignus winced. "Sorry…"

Anna whirled around at him. "Don't apologize! This is wonderful! You're okay! You won!" Then her face went panicky. "Where's Elsa?"

Ignus suddenly remembered his mental checklist of what to tell Anna.

"She's fine! She's totally fine! She…she actually saved my life." Ignus shrugged sheepishly. "Again. She'll be up soon, she just had to address the Kingdom about the battle."

Anna breathed with relief. She walked back over to Kristoff and sat next to him, her arms around him, looking completely content, like everything she ever wanted had come true.

Kristoff exhaled heavily and looked at Ignus. "I guess you did win, then?"

Ignus grinned. "Oh yeah. We won."

Kristoff sat back a bit, closing his eyes, leaning his head against Anna's. "Haaaa….sweet relief. No more crazy bombermen or whatever."

Ignus felt a bite of guilt. "I'm…I'm sorry, Kris. I couldn't stop that bomb and-"

Kris cut him off. "Ig, you just fought a war to keep me and Anna safe. I'd say you have nothing to apologize for." He smiled.

"Jeez, can you just let me apologize for something for once?"

"Not a chance."

Ignus laughed and put a hand to his head. A sense of euphoria coursed through him.

"But never mind me! Or the now-defunct River! You're getting married!" Ignus jumped like a child. "I can't believe it! Congratulations!" He ran towards Anna, hugging her and spinning her around, laughing.

"I, oh man, I need to get Elsa! Hold on, I'll be right back! Don't move!"

"Hey!"

Kristoff had called out to him. Ignus turned around.

"If you really want to apologize…" Kristoff gave him a look. "Then do me a favor. Go tell the Queen of Arendelle that you love her, okay?"

Ignus looked at him, not believing how unfair Kristoff was being. "That's…you can't do that!"

"Sure I can! Who says I can't?"

"Common decency!"

"I'm a mountain man, remember? I'm not common or decent. Now go tell her!"

Anna simply smiled radiantly at Ignus. "I think she'll be happy to hear you say it."

Ignus said nothing, his mind racing.

Then a slow smile spread across his face.

"Okay."

And he raced out of the room, leaving Kristoff and Anna alone as they kissed.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

_I love you._

_I love you more than anything I've ever known._

_I need you. You mean everything to me._

It sounded stupid no matter how Ignus worded it.

And yet, his feet did not slow down as he ran towards the town square, trying to find Elsa.

After everything he had been through, he couldn't hold it in anymore. He didn't care what she said, he just needed to tell her everything, how his life would still have been a shadow without her, how he would have cowered beneath his hood for a long time had she not given him the courage to move on.

He needed her.

_It's a simple as that. _Ignus remembered Kristoff's words.

He sprinted into the square, where the crowd was dissipating back to their homes and saw the general standing next to a stand. Ignus quickly ran up to him.

"General! Where's Elsa?"

The General turned around. "Ah! Hello…uh…"

He looked unsure as to how to address Ignus.

"Just Ignus is fine. Happens all the time."

"Very well…Ignus. The Queen went to the stables to hitch her horse."

Ignus took off without another word, leaving the General quite confused.

He ran through the streets, excitement causing small wisps of fire to fly out behind him.

He arrived at the stables and stopped. He gathered himself, trying as hard as he could to brace himself for what he was about to do.

He opened the door.

"Elsa?"

He looked around. He didn't see her.

Ignus walked in a little further, finding nothing but horses and a few sheep.

"Elsa? Hello?"

He walked towards the end of the stable.

Then he stopped.

He stood still for about a minute.

Then he walked towards a chair at the end of the stable very slowly, like he was sleepwalking.

He picked up the small piece of paper lying on top of it.

It read, "Harbor".

Three lines were beneath it. One wavy. The symbol of the River.

Elsa's glove lay on the chair, beside where the note was.

End Chapter 20


	22. Chapter 22

**I am a sick man, and I do not own Frozen.**

Chapter 21 – Ultima Incendio

The walk to the docks was something out of a dream. Or a nightmare.

Ignus wondered vaguely why he felt so tired. He wasn't angry, or worried, or scared.

Just tired.

His feet dragged forward like they were controlled by something else.

He stepped out onto the docks of Arendelle. The last lights of the sun had trickled away, allowing the night sky to stretch over Ignus' head. He didn't notice.

There were many ships in the harbor. But Ignus knew which one he was walking towards.

He saw a small dinghy at the end of the dock. A single man stood at its helm.

Ignus walked up to the man. He stood still and waited.

The man nodded.

Ignus got onto the boat. The man started rowing out into the dark ocean.

There was nothing but silence as the man's steady rowing pushed the boat through the night. Ignus mind was only focused on one thing: Elsa.

Ignus' thoughts flew by in a blur. He couldn't focus on any single one, so he simply ignored them, letting the man row in silence.

Time passed by. Ignus didn't keep track of how long.

The dinghy reached a large ship about a mile off the coast of Arendelle. It looked ordinary.

Ignus stood up and walked to the end of the dinghy. The man looked at him.

"He said I couldn't do anything to stop him, and neither could anyone I told."

"He was right."

The man said nothing. Then he looked up, pleadingly. "Save her. Please."

Ignus stepped out of the boat in silence and climbed up the side of the ship.

As he stepped over the rail, he looked up at the deck.

Standing in front of him was the Duke. His armor was gone, as was Stryk and his helmet. He held a small sword at his side. He was bandaged, and he stood on one leg, not putting weight on the other. Ignus guessed that was due to his fall off of the roof, but that's not what drew Ignus' attention.

The Duke was covered with burns and ice. The magic ball Ignus and Elsa had fired at him had covered his body with the effects of their respective elements. Some parts of his body were iced over, others had wicked burns.

His eyes were empty and hollow, like he was a ghost. Yet there was still cold fury in them.

Ignus said nothing as he walked forward. His hood wasn't up.

"Where is she?"

The Duke was silent. Then he stood aside and showed Elsa, bound by her hands and feet with metal cuffs. She was unconscious.

The Duke looked at Ignus.

Ignus looked back.

"I thought that ball of energy would have been enough."

The Duke said nothing. He seemed beyond words.

"It's over." Ignus said. The exhaustion he felt inside showed in his voice. "You can't keep doing this. You can't live like this anymore. We've won. The River's run dry."

The Duke looked at him, eyes wide and shaking with silent rage.

"It's never over, boy. Not until I've had some shred of vengeance for what you've done to me."

Ignus felt no hatred towards the Duke anymore. It had all been settled on that rooftop at the Dam. All felt now was a sense of connection.

"I made that mistake too. I wanted revenge for what you did to my parents. And I got it. I made you suffer. And in doing so…" He looked at his hand, softly glistening with fire in the darkness of the night. "I doomed myself to a life on the run. It put the people I have come to love at risk. That is what revenge brought me. It didn't bring satisfaction. It brought more pain."

He looked back up at the Duke. "What will revenge bring you? Because I'll tell you now, it'll never be what you hope it will."

"Do not lecture me, child." The Duke said, his body now trembling with anguish and pain.

"I don't even know your name. And you don't know mine. We've been enemies for years without that knowledge. It seems absurd, in retrospect."

The Duke looked at him ferociously.

"My name is Ignus." Ignus said, softly. "I'm not afraid to say it anymore. You can't control that part of me now."

The Duke snorted. "What? You expect me to tell you mine now? You will die without ever knowing it." He tried to sound confident, but his voice waivered.

"I thought not having a name made me strong, too. I was wrong." Ignus looked at Elsa, with complete adoration. "She made me realize how wrong I was. Telling them my name…I connected with them. I had a life. An identity."

He turned his head back to the Duke. "A reason to move on."

The Duke was now clenching the sword, his breathing growing raspy.

"Why can't you?" Ignus asked.

"_BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING!"_

The Duke's voice shot out over the ocean, ringing with sorrow and hatred.

"You took EVERYTHING I had! You burnt it to cinders that day! Made me the vile wretch of a man I was before! You…a child…a brat! How could someone like you take my life away?"

Ignus' eyes were pained as he stared at the despondent man.

"I made a mistake." Ignus said with finality. "Do not misunderstand. I will never forgive you for what you did, nor do I believe you deserve any better. But I will say that I made a mistake."

The Duke looked like he had gone mad. "Is that meant to make me stop? To not kill this woman that you love so much? To forgive you for what you have done?"

"It's all I have. The choice is yours now."

The Duke said nothing.

"Revenge, or letting go. Remain trapped in the past, like I was…or look to a new future."

Ignus stared with tired eyes. "Don't make the same mistake that I did."

The Duke, for a moment, looked like he was about to cry.

Then the sword in his hand rose up with his hand, flashing in the moonlight as he brought it down.

To Ignus, the sword moved in slow motion.

He shot forward with fire and shouldered the Duke in the chest, sending him flying back to the edge of the ship, the sword falling harmlessly next to Elsa. His back hit the railing hard and he slid down.

Ignus raised his fists.

_This is it._

The Duke had lost it. His mind had shattered, nothing but a primal, animalistic urge to kill.

Roaring, the Duke ran towards Ignus, swinging his fist at him. Ignus dodged away from it and kicked the Duke in the leg. As the Duke knelt down in pain, Ignus delivered a devastating punch to his face.

The Duke whirled his head back around and kicked Ignus in the stomach. He then grabbed Ignus around the waist, lifted him up and threw him into the mast of the ship. Ignus hit it hard and slid to the deck, coughing.

The Duke aimed a punch at Ignus' head, who at the last moment ducked, letting the Duke's fist crash into the mast. The Duke groaned in pain as Ignus got back up to his feet and backed away.

"You've completely lost it…" Ignus said in disgust. The pity he felt for the Duke disappeared. He had made his choice, and he chose to try to kill Elsa.

Ignus only had so much forgiveness in him.

He charged at the Duke again, hitting him across the face as the Duke caught his extended arm and pulled it towards him, finally connecting his own fist to Ignus' temple. For about five minutes they traded blows, Ignus remaining in the lead.

Finally, Ignus reached back after sending the Duke to his knees, and shot fire from his elbow, rocketing his fist forward directly into the Duke's gut. He flew back towards the other end of the ship and crashed into the railing, which nearly broke from the weight. It creaked precariously.

Ignus took out his sword and walked towards the Duke. The fire in his eyes had returned.

He had tried to forgive this man. To let bygones be bygones. To forget the awful life they caused for each other and move on. And he had responded by trying to kill the woman he loved most.

Ignus had to kill him.

He raised his sword, murder in his eyes, as it pointed towards the Duke.

He didn't notice Elsa stirring, waking up, and finally looking at Ignus in horror, knowing what he was about to do.

Ignus looked into the eyes of the fallen Duke. He remembered the pain, the fear, the loneliness.

But then he thought about Arendelle. The last two months.

He lowered the sword. He kneeled down and looked in the Duke's eyes.

"No. I'm done. If you won't walk away…I will."

He threw aside the sword and walked away from the shivering Duke. The darkness Ignus had inside him for so long, the darkness that gave him nightmares...it was leaving his body.

Ignus looked up to see Elsa staring at him, with nothing but affection in her eyes.

Ignus walked over and undid her chains, cutting through the metal with concentrated fire.

"So…uh…I'm sorry for letting him find y-"

The wind flew out of his lungs as Elsa crushed him in a hug.

He could hear her sniffles. "I'm…I'm so proud of you."

"Oh come on, no big deal…" Ignus was a bit confused. "I could take him, and I wasn't going to let him hurt you or-"

"No." Elsa withdrew, her eyes shining form the tears and the moonlight. "For not…for being better. For being the man you are now."

Ignus smiled sheepishly.

Then Elsa looked at his eyes, surprise showing on her face. Ignus' brow furrowed in curiosity, and he started to ask her what was up…

When he heard the crossbow's click.

Ignus didn't even think. He didn't have to. He whirled around and shot towards the Duke, who was aiming a hidden crossbow at Elsa. Ignus crashed into him, and the crossbow fired, hitting the mast next to Elsa, who gasped in terror.

Ignus' momentum was too much for the damaged rail. He and the Duke broke through, over the side of the ship, down into the freezing ocean below.

Ignus thought he heard Elsa scream his name as the water overtook him.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Ignus could handle blizzards. He could handle cold days.

He could not handle being surrounded by freezing cold saltwater.

It choked his fire, smothering it almost entirely. The heat went out of Ignus' body, and he felt cold, which happened very few times in his life.

It was terrifying.

Ignus tried to swim and move his arms, but the overwhelming numbness in his body made it hard to do so.

Then he realized that two hands, not his own, had reached in and grabbed his neck, squeezing hard, choking him. Ignus grabbed them with his own hands, trying to force the Duke's death grip off. He was failing.

The cold was extinguishing his flames. The water was drowning him. The Duke was suffocating him.

Ignus' thoughts went black, his vision faded, blurring into flashes of white and red as the oxygen left his body, drifting away in little bubbles, taunting Ignus as they made for the surface, so far away now.

Ignus was dying. He knew it. He understood it.

He did not want it.

Mustering every ounce of energy he had left, he pointed his fingers into what he hoped was the direction towards the Duke's face. He concentrated all the heat he had left into those two fingers.

Then he shot them out, causing two streams of boiling hot water to fly into the face of the Duke, scalding him.

Ignus felt the hands leave his throat. The Duke grasped his face, screaming, his words drowned out by the water.

The Duke sank, the weight of his iron heart, which had refused to forget, dragging him down into the crushing blackness of the ocean, his final words lost in the bubbles that danced upwards away from his mouth.

Ignus couldn't move. He was spent. The flames in his body were all but gone.

He closed his eyes, drifting down towards the ocean floor, darkness taking him.

_No sacrifices. I made a promise. I can't. Not now, not like this…I can't…_

His thoughts ceased, and the darkness claimed him.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Seagulls called out into the night, the only things making noise, aside from the sounds of the ocean rolling calmly.

The quiet was interrupted, however, when two people burst out of the water. One of them was carrying another.

Elsa created a block of ice on the surface of the ocean, which she climbed aboard, dragging Ignus onto it as well.

Once he was on it, Elsa knelt down quickly, staring at his pale face.

"Ignus, Ignus, wake up. You're safe now, you're okay! I've got you!"

She shook his face. It was cold.

"Please…" Tears fell from her eyes. "Wake up, Ignus…"

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Ignus later wished that he had woken up in a somewhat more dignified manner.

His eyes burst open as he flailed to the end of the ice float, coughing into the ocean, ridding himself of the cold water. He sat back onto the boat, shivering and pale as Elsa, trying to fan his inner flame back to it's normal heat.

Elsa looked like she had just seen someone rise from the grave.

_She might have. _Ignus thought.

Ignus coughed out more water, finally turning to face her.

"I…am…n-n-never…g-going…ice f-fishing…ever."

Elsa's cold hair whipped around as she rushed to embrace Ignus, holding him fiercely.

"You're okay, right? You're not frozen or dead, right?!" Her voice was near-hysteric.

Ignus weakly raised an arm and hugged her back.

"Yeah…yeah…c-c-c-course I'm not dead. N-n-not sure about the f-f-f-frozen part, though."

Elsa said nothing as she held him. She simply drank in the fact that he was here, and he was alive.

"I'm g-g-gonna have to t-tell Anna about this…w-we can be 'almost got f-f-frozen' buddies!" He gave her a teasing smile.

Elsa looked at him, bewildered. "You almost died and you're making jokes?"

Ignus cowed a bit. "S-sorry…just p-p-popped into my head."

"You are…unbelievable, you know that?"

Ignus gave her a heart-melting smile. "Yeah…well, not as much as you."

Elsa started to say something, then stopped. She didn't know what to say.

Ignus looked around. Then he laughed.

"What?"

"Sorry, it's just…this is how we first met, remember? Me almost drowning in water and you dragging me ashore?"

Elsa's eyes widened. "I forgot! That's…" She looked down a bit. "That's a little weird…"

"Yeah. But hey, what happens when fire and ice meet?"

Elsa looked at him quizzically.

"You get water! But in our case, we got a whole river…wait…man, I just cannot, for the life of me, stop making puns!"

Elsa laughed, wiping the tears form her eyes. "Yeah…fire and ice…"

Ignus looked at her, embarrassed. He watched her laugh, her face even more beautiful than when he first laid eyes on it.

"You've changed me, Elsa." He said simply.

She smiled back. "How so?"

"I wasn't a person before I met you. Or I hadn't been one for a long time...but you, well...ah, this is so stupid...you made me feel like a person again. You made me want to move on, and gave me the strength to."

"I could be honest with you. And I could be honest with myself."

Ignus breathed. This was the biggest rush he'd ever felt. Which was saying something.

Elsa smiled, remembering what some good friends had told her. "Everyone's a fixer-upper."

"Pfft. If that's the case then i'm a train wreck."

"Worth every minute it took."

Elsa's eyes shone in the moonlight. She looked amazing.

Ignus took a breath. _I'm insane. I'minsaneI'minsaneI'minsane.__  
_

"So, after everything you did for me, I feel like I owe you some more honesty."

Elsa blinked. "You've been very honest with me, Ign-"

"I have. About my past. About myself. But...not my feelings."

Elsa was very still.

"And...I'm not good at talking about those too much. So...I'll be blunt."

"I really, really, really want to kiss you right now, Elsa."

Silence.

Then...

"Ignus, you can open your eyes."

Ignus had shut them tight for the last minute.

But now that he opened them, and saw the look on Elsa's face, almost every fear in his body evaporated.

Elsa wanted to say something coy, something romantic and memorable.

Instead, she said. "Okay."

Both feeling very stupid, they kissed.

Fire and ice swirled around the two, dancing together, like spirits. They extended out over the ocean, into the sky, as Ignus and Elsa held each other, as if they had always been meant to do this.

Finally, they broke apart. Ignus felt like he had the sun inside of him, burning gloriously.

Elsa smiled shyly.

Then she seemed to remember something.

"Do you remember back on the ship? When I looked into your eyes and was surprised?"

Ignus said nothing, looking like he was in space.

Elsa put a hand on his face, giggling. "Ignus."

He landed. "Huh? Well…yeah, actually, I do. What was that about?"

Elsa pointed at the water. "Take a look."

Ignus looked nervously. "I almost died in that water. Do I have to?"

Elsa smiled again. "If you do, I'll save you."

Ignus grinned bashfully. Then he inspected his reflection in the water.

His eyes widened.

"Wh…what?"

He looked back at Elsa. "My…my eyes are…"

Elsa stared at him with a serene look. "Amazing."

Ignus' eyes were no longer the blood red color they had been.

They were now a shining, golden amber color.

"I…I don't understand…"

"It happened when you didn't kill the Duke. When you refused to let your past tie you down anymore. You became free. And I think your eyes reflected that."

Ignus looked back at his reflection. He liked the color quite a bit. It made him look warmer.

"You're not just saying that to make me feel better?" Ignus asked her, in a teasing voice.

Elsa gave him a huffy look. "I just kissed you. Is that not enough to convince you?"

Ignus looked away, staring out at the ocean.

"Maybe. Might take some more convincing."

Elsa threw a conjured snowball at him.

"Gah! Cold!" Ignus looked at her again. "I was just kidding, El-"

He stopped when Elsa kissed him again. Ignus, after a moment, relented his argument and decided wisely to kiss the girl back.

They stayed there for a long time, floating on the ice block across the calm ocean, fire and ice still lingering in the night sky.

End Chapter 21

**A/N – One more.**


	23. Chapter 23

**It was a hell of a ride.**

**I do not own Frozen.**

Final Chapter – Ripples

It was summer in Arendelle.

The sun was alone in the cloudless sky, as it usually was this time of year. It was a cool day, despite the sun's radiance. Many guessed that the Queen had a hand in it, as she wanted this day to be the best day it could. Only Ignus knew it was true, for a fact.

He was certainly grateful for her magical air conditioning. Everyone attending the wedding would have been sweating through their formal wear had Elsa not cooled the air. He would have been fine, of course. Heat was his life.

Ignus himself was wearing a uniform of his own design. It was black and white, as one would expect, with a tinge of amber thrown in, to reflect his eyes.

Ignus still was surprised every time he looked in the mirror. He had to get used to having new eyes, but he enjoyed it immensely. It reminded him of when he sat on the lake with Elsa.

And that was something he always wanted to be reminded of.

He shook himself from his fond memories, focusing on his task at hand.

Ignus was extremely humbled when Kristoff had approached him about being the best man, and had asked him if he was certain about five times since then.

Kristoff had told him that technically, reindeer couldn't be best men, so Ignus would have to suffice. Ignus stopped asking after that.

Since then, Ignus had researched to the best of his ability how to be a "best man". He had never been to a wedding, nor did he know exactly what a best man did. He only knew that it was an important position, and not one given lightly by the groom.

Anna had of course, privileged Elsa with being the maid of honor, as well as her escort down the aisle, as she considered Elsa her "most important relative". When told that it had to be a man, Anna simply asked Elsa, the Queen, if she could change that rule, to which Elsa gladly complied.

Elsa and Ignus had been working tirelessly to make sure the wedding was planned perfectly, even to the point of the weather. Elsa had been surprised and highly amused by Ignus' dedication and excitement while planning the wedding.

Ignus hadn't actually seen Elsa yet. She was most likely with Anna, preparing for the ceremony. Ignus smiled as he thought of the look that must be on Anna's face right now.

Probably a mixture of absolute joy and overwhelming anxiety.

Ignus knew with Elsa there, Anna would get over any sudden rushes of emotion.

Focusing back onto himself, Ignus inspected himself in the mirror. His gold-laced gloves smoothed out his uniform, as he straightened back his hair, the ends of it red as always.

Ignus couldn't help but give the mirror a suave look. If he did say so himself, he looked rather dapper.

Chuckling, he walked away from the mirror into the main hall of the castle. He strode up to another door and knocked.

"Kris? You good in there?"

"Yeah, yeah, come on in."

Ignus entered the door. Kristoff was wearing a handsome suit with a small sunflower on his chest. It was Anna's favorite flower.

_How could it not be?_ Thought Ignus.

"How you feeling?"

Kristoff moved experimentally in his clothing. He looked uncomfortable.

"I've never been a fan of formal wear."

"Yeah, I know. Well, suck it up, man. Something tells me you're gonna forget about all that once you see Anna walking down that aisle." Ignus said, smiling broadly.

Kristoff inhaled deeply, bracing himself. "Yeah…hoo, boy."

He looked totally freaked out.

"I just…man, it's here. This is it."

"I know."

"I'm…I'm going to be honest, Ig." Kristoff looked at him. "I'm terrified."

Ignus put a hand on his shoulder.

"I've seen the way you look at her, Kristoff. I've seen it ever since I woke up in that room in the castle all those months ago."

He gave him an encouraging smile. "She loves you more than anything. And you love her. And that's all there is to it, remember?"

Kristoff's filled with new confidence. "Yeah. I wonder who said that? He must have been a genius."

Ignus rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Save it for your soon-to-be wife."

He then looked at the clock outside. "Speaking of which, we should get you out there, mountain man."

Kristoff took a deep breath, running a hand through his blonde hair one more time. "Yeah."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The throne room had been refurnished into a glorious chapel. Kai had taken special care to fill the room with decorations, all of which were Anna's favorite colors, those of summer. Yellow, green and orange draped the room, with paintings of scenery and bright summer days.

Almost everybody in the kingdom wanted to attend, with only a lucky portion of them being able to actually sit in the throne room. The rest formed a mile-long welcoming line outside the castle, waiting for the bride and groom to exit.

Kristoff's family had been given special seats at the front. It was truly a strange sight, seeing an entire tribe of mountain trolls sitting in benches in a castle. Ignus had, luckily, been acquainted with them before the wedding, otherwise he may have keeled over from shock.

They were quite rowdy, and Ignus made a note to himself to stick close to them during the reception, as they looked like they knew how to party.

"Ignus."

Ignus started as he heard a voice next to him. Looking down, he saw the troll elder, Pabbie, standing by him.

Ignus smiled. "Pabbie."

The wizened troll looked at the hall. "Quite an extraordinary event, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah…you must be proud of Kristoff."

Pabbie chuckled. "I always knew he'd find love. But I could never have predicted he'd charm a princess!"

Ignus laughed. "If anything, I'd say Anna charmed _him_."

Pabbie acknowledged this. Then he looked at Ignus. "And you? How are you doing?"

Ignus looked down at Pabbie. "Why do you ask?"

The troll tilted his head a bit. "Life has been difficult for you for a long time. You have known great pain. And yet here you are, best man at a wedding, flame of the Queen."

Ignus lightly laughed. "Hey, I'm supposed to make the bad puns, here." Then he exhaled softly.

"If you told me a year ago I'd be here now, in this castle, with my life the way it is now…I'd have called you insane. But these past months…they've been the best of my life."

Pabbie nodded. "We must never give up hope that things will be better. But, it seems you have already learned that lesson."

Ignus smiled. "Yeah. I had a little help." He thought fondly of Elsa.

Pabbie closed his eyes and grinned. "But, there will be more lessons to learn, Ignus, wielder of fire. The life of one such as you is full of surprises. And the bond you and Elsa share, it could…well…_produce_ something quite interesting."

Ignus nodded in agreement.

Then his mind came to a crashing halt and did a u-turn.

"Just a second…_what _was that last part?!"

Pabbie laughed and walked away. "It's far into your future, Ignus. New challenges wait. For now, I'd simply worry about keeping Kristoff on that altar."

Ignus turned and saw Kristoff, shaking in his enormous shoes, looking completely uneasy in front of so many people.

"Kris, come on, man! We talked about this!"

Ignus ran over to him, leaving Pabbie alone with his gentle smile.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Trumpets blared as the ceremony began. Ignus stood next to a newly-rejuenated Kristoff, as Sven stood to the side. He had been allowed to be a groomsman, albeit the only one other than Ignus.

The bridesmaids, all beautiful and wearing light green colors, walked down the aisle.

What followed was an extraordinary sight indeed.

Ignus watched with childish glee as Marshmallow, the big man himself, walked slowly and carefully down the aisle, carrying the rings on a pillow in his quivering hands. He had a look of sheer concentration on his face, as if he was controlling every single snowflake in his body to make sure he did not step out of line.

Olaf stood on the giant's shoulders, throwing flowers left and right, dancing between shoulders. He laughed with joy as he threw flowers down the aisle.

"Flowers! Summer flowers! Flowers in summer!" He sang.

As they reached the altar, Marshmallow gently stood off to the side, looking extremely relieved. Ignus flashed him a thumbs-up, to which Marshmallow responded with a goofy smile.

Then the trumpets and organ started up again, and every head in the room turned and looked back at the entrance to the throne room.

The heavenly tune was quite appropriate, as the two women standing there truly did look like angels.

Elsa and Anna stood side-by-side, interlocking their arms. Elsa was wearing a sleek, absolutely gorgeous blue ice dress, which shimmered and sparkled in the sunlight. Her tiara gleamed with her shining single braid.

Anna, however, was the real show-stopper.

Her hair was tied back into an exquisite bun, her extravagant white dress cascading out behind her, her blue eyes shining like frozen ponds. She stepped forward gracefully, probably the most light-footed she had ever been in her life.

_Elsa probably had a hand in that._ Ignus thought, watching Anna glide down the aisle. It was unreal.

Kristoff looked like every doubt had been completely disintegrated from his mind. He was speechless. Anna, who caught sight of his look, gave an excited smile.

Ignus couldn't stop looking at Elsa, however. She was a paragon of beauty, in his eyes. He acknowledged his personal bias as he thought it.

Elsa looked at Ignus, marveling at his looks. The uniform made him look like a honest-to-goodness hero. Which he was, to her, but the uniform made it seem that way to everyone else. She blushed as she caught his eye.

After an eternity, or maybe a minute, they arrived at the altar. The priest began the sermon as Elsa stepped back with the bridesmaids.

After a while (time passed quickly to Ignus, who was staring at Elsa), the priest asked for the rings. Marshmallow, trembling from head to toe, slowly knelt and presented the rings. Kristoff took them off of the pillow, smiled at him, and then walked back. Marshmallow looked like he was about to, quite literally, melt from relief.

Ignus smiled, proud of his big lug of a friend.

As Anna and Kristoff put on the rings and said their vows, Ignus and Elsa looked at each other and nodded.

As bride and groom leaned in and kissed…well, more accurately, as the bride shot forward and nearly knocked the groom over, fire and ice shot out from their respective users and swirled around the duo, who were too lost in each other to notice. The crowd did, however, as "ooo's" and "aah's" broke out. The two balls of magic spiraled into the air and burst into a purple glow, raining sparkles down on the chapel as the crowd got to it's feet and cheered, the Princess and her husband shining like stars.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Elsa had partied harder than she ever had in her life.

She had danced with Ignus, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, Pabbie, Sven, even Marshmallow, who had basically picked her up and gently swung her around.

The last few hours were the happiest she had been in almost all her life.

She had taken a short break and had walked out of the castle, towards the lake behind the castle. She stood there for a while, staring at the water, reflecting on the wedding, the past few months, and everything that had happened since she had met Ignus.

She heard footsteps and turned around, seeing Ignus walking towards her. His uniform was undone a bit, and his hair was a bit messy.

Ignus noticed her reaction. "Sorry." he said sheepishly. "Those trolls know how to party."

Elsa giggled. "I've heard."

Ignus smiled and walked up to her, holding her hand.

"Everything ok, Els?" He had started using that pet name a couple weeks after they had kissed. She adored it.

"It's…it's so amazing." Elsa said breathlessly.

"What?"

"Everything."

"Then why did you come out here?" Ignus asked curiously.

Elsa turned and looked at the water. It was completely still.

"I ran over this lake at my coronation."

"What?"

"When my powers were revealed and I ran away, I froze over this lake. I just remembered." Elsa looked down and closed her eyes.

"I was so scared, Ignus. Back then I couldn't see any future for me besides one of isolation. I thought my powers would keep me from the world forever, that…"

She didn't continue.

Ignus looked at her, concerned. "It's alright, Elsa-"

"I know!" She looked back up at him, a look of sheer joy on her face. "I…I just can't believe I'm standing here, outside of my sister's wedding reception, where I was maid of honor! I never thought that would happen! I'm…I'm just so happy! She laughed and jumped into Ignus' arms, letting her excitement spill over.

Ignus looked totally overwhelmed. "Well, after what you went through, it's about time you got a little happiness, wouldn't you say?"

Elsa nodded, wiping tears of joy from her eyes.

"I…I never thought I'd meet anyone like you, Ignus. Everything is...just perfect."

Ignus looked at her, his eyes glowing like a welcoming hearth. There was a lot he wanted to say, a lot of sappy, stupid, romantic things.

He condensed it to one simple act.

He kissed her.

The warm summer breeze blew softly over the cool lake, creating tiny ripples in it, in perfect symmetry to each other, gliding out, until they faded into the still water.

**THE END**

**_PLEASE READ_**

**I could go on for pages thanking you all for following, favoriting, reviewing and reading my work. But I'm sure you'd all prefer a simple thanks. And so let me simply say it.**

**Thanks for reading my first ever Fanfiction. Truly.**

**This will not be Elsa and Ignus' last story together. **

**Let me know what you thought of the story, and where you think it could go next. I have ideas, but I'm always willing to listen. I will update soon with a small 'fun facts' blurb.**

**Until next time.**

**-TheStanfordExperiment**


	24. Fun Facts!

**Fun Facts!**

**1. Ignus' name comes from ****_Ignis_****, which is Latin for Fire. Similarly, the penultimate chapter's name, ****_Ultima Incendio_****, means "Final Blaze".**

**2. This story was originally going to focus on Elsa. I decided to switch it to Ignus, however, when I realized Elsa's character was already pretty complete, and trying to squeeze more character development out of her would have been hard to do.**

**3. Eddie, the bartender, was given a cockney accent in his second appearance. I plan to edit the first chapter to make the change seem less obvious.**

**4. The reason Ignus started with a hood? I think hooded badasses are cool.**

**5. I got a lot of hate from the chapter when I had Elsa kidnapped. I admit, I cackled maniacally when I read some of the reviews. (Looking at you, LovelySheree)**

**6. Anna and Olaf's character were the hardest to write about. They're so bubbly, it's hard to make them adorable without them seeming annoying or ditzy.**

**7. Speaking of Olaf, he wasn't in the story much because a) I couldn't write him well and b) I thought he kind of ruined the dynamic.**

**8. Ignus' puns often happened by accident while I was typing. After doing it twice, I decided to make it a thing.**

**9. Kramer53 called it. Congrats. You killjoy.**

**10. I contemplated killing off Marshmallow in the fight against the River. I decided not to, since I liked his and Ignus' relationship too much.**

**11. My favorite moment to write about was Ignus' interrogation of the Riverman. So…freaking…satisfying**

**12. My least favorite chapter was the chapter after Ignus' confession in the alleyway. It was when I hit my first writer's block.**

** 13. The idea for the River came to me while I was trying to pick a good motive for why a group would hate Elsa. Something to wash away the dirt from humanity=river washes rocks.**

** 14. I never gave the Duke a name because this is meant to reflect Ignus and his refusal to say his own at first.**

** 15. I plan to add some smaller stories onto this Fanfiction, then create a sequel one later on.**

**16. I like cats.**

** 17. Sven wasn't in this too much. Really because I didn't think about him that much. Sorry, Sven.**

**18. Pabbie's words in the last chapter are foreshadowing…**

**19. This is my first Fanfiction. Ever.**

**20. The Duke's sword, Stryk, means "Rapids" in Norwegian.**

**21. My favorite character is Ignus. Okay, that's cheating. My favorite real character is Elsa. Honestly, how can you not love her?**

**22. I knew I was never going to put songs in the story. Songs are meant to be heard, not read. Also I'm total shizz at writing songs.**

**23. Elsa still doesn't know Ignus was the one who broke down the door at Eddie's inn! I forgot to add in that part. Oh well.**

**24. I had a few ideas as to how Ignus would meet Elsa, one of which was Elsa blocking part of the avalanche, and Ignus demonstrating his powers to do the rest. I thought the prolonged mystery kept it fresh, however, so I had Ignus stop the avalanche alone.**

**25. I always knew Ignus was going to have total control over his powers. If you want a story about someone trying to learn how to control his or her powers, I suggest you re-watch Frozen. You dum-dum.**

**26. I contemplated going into the origins of Elsa's and Ignus' powers, then decided it didn't matter, at least, not in my story. It is interesting to imagine though. Hmm…**

**27. I didn't realize Marshmallow was his canonical name until after I wrote it in.**

**28. Someone else made a fanfiction called "Singed." Honestly, I'm surprised it took so long, or that the name hadn't been used yet. At least, not to my knowledge.**

**29. I regret naming the Fanfiction "Singed". But I don't want to change it now, not when it's become a bit of a hit.**

**30. Was not expecting any kind of feedback. Seriously. I thought this would go by unnoticed. You guys are awesome.**

**31. If you all were crystal meth, you'd be blue.**

**32. I use a type of planning called "garden" outline. It basically means you make stuff up as you go and tie it all together at the end as best you can. If any of you thought I had sat down and planned out every inch of my story, you're dead wrong.**

**To those who want to know about my next work, it will still be Frozen, and it will continue the story of Ignus. However, it will ****_not_**** simply be a story about their lives in the future. It will have a plot, and new characters. I love fluff as much as all of you, but I need a storyline to keep me focused. Don't you worry, though. You'll see plenty of Elnus. Or Igelsa, I guess? I dunno. Also there will be more Kristanna.**

**Anyway, I toyed with the idea of having Ignus and Elsa pay a visit to Corona, where a certain brunette princess resides…lemme know what you think.**

**See you soon.**

**-TheStanfordExperiment**


	25. Extra Chapter

**Author's Note – Hope you enjoy this little extra chapter. Thank you all for your overwhelmingly positive feedback on my story.**

**_OLAFQHACE_**** – You are absolutely free to do that. I mean, this is a Fanfiction, what am I gonna do, sue for copyright infringement? Just remember, Ignus' hair is jet black, a bit spiky and has red ends. He has a small burn mark and a scar over his left eye. I'm excited to see what you make.**

** -TheStanfordExperiment**

**Are you looking at me? Because I do not own Frozen. **

Extra Chapter 1 – Fit for a Queen

"Do your clothes ever catch on fire?"

"No. Well, only when I want them to."

"Did you ever cause an eternal summer like Elsa caused an eternal winter?"

"Not to my knowledge, no."

"Can you build sandmen?"

"What?"

"You know, Elsa built me, so why shouldn't you be able to create sandmen? There's sand in summer."

"I control fire. Sand is not fire, Olaf."

"So you can make fire people!"

"Something tells me people won't find them as appealing as a friendly snowman."

It had been like this for the past two hours.

Ignus had been walking with Olaf through the mountains next to Arendelle, traveling to Elsa's ice castle. Truthfully, he'd have preferred Kristoff or Anna showing him how to get there, rather than Olaf and his endless jabbering. But they were still on their honeymoon, and of course, he couldn't let Elsa know he was headed up there.

It was Elsa's birthday tomorrow. And Ignus had spent the last two weeks trying to think of a good gift for her.

It hadn't been easy. She was a _Queen_, after all. The bar was set pretty high.

He finally had come up with a good idea. However, he would need some very special material. And so, he threw on his jacket, gave Elsa a good excuse for leaving for the afternoon, and asked Olaf to take him to the Ice Castle.

And now, about half a million questions later, he wondering if the consequences were worth it.

"So, how exactly does the fire work?"

Ignus looked weary as he turned and asked, "Huh?"

"Y'knoooow, how do you shoot it? How does it work?"

"Um…I don't really know. It's like flexing a muscle. I just point it and…"

He shot a small burst of fire out of his hands.

Olaf jumped and excitedly chased after the fire, which disappeared quickly.

"Aw…"

Ignus raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. I guess Elsa has that certain quality over me. He magic lasts more than two seconds."

Olaf nodded, thoughtfully.

"Are we almost there?"

"Hm?"

"Are we almost at the castle?"

"What castle?"

Ignus stopped.

"The castle…" He tried not to sound aggravated, "That you are leading me to…"

"Oh, I'm just kiddin', you silly fire person! We're nearly there."

Ignus put a hand to his eyes, rubbing them. He really hoped Elsa liked his gift.

After another half hour, Ignus finally beheld the castle, still in all its gleaming glory, as he remembered. He smiled. It reminded him of Elsa.

_Well, duh. Why wouldn't it?_

Shaking himself, Ignus walked up to the side of the castle and began inspecting the walls. He had a puzzled look on his face.

Olaf noticed. "What's up, lemoncup?"

Ignus gave him an utterly baffled look, then shook his head and looked at the Castle again.

"I need to use this ice for Elsa's present…but I can't figure out how to get it…my fire won't burn through it. It's different from her usual ice…more powerful."

Olaf looked at it and scratched his head, almost pushing it off his shoulders.

"Maybe you need to kiss it."

"I m-wait, WHAT?!"

"Think about it! This stuff was made by Elsa. Elsa's face gets hot when you kiss her. Thus, if you kiss this ice, it will too get warm and melt!"

"There is, literally, not figuratively, not a single shred of logic in that stateme-"

"Sssshhhhhh." Olaf put a hand to Ignus' mouth. "Don't flap your lips at me. Embrace the ice, my friend." He said in a suave voice.

Ignus plucked the hand off his face. "I'm not kissing the ice."

"It's the only way. You must confront your fears!"

"Wh-I'm not even scared! I'm using my brain!"

"Excuses! Kiss the ice!"

"No!"

"Do iiiit!"

Ignus' eyes lit up dangerously, pointed at the snowman.

Olaf's arm fell down comically.

"Perhaps we shall find a different solution."

"Yeah. Let's do that."

Ignus went back to trying to melt the ice.

Olaf plopped down next to him and stared as he worked.

Ignus grew slowly more frustrated. "This just isn't working…this ice is something else entirely…"

"Maybe it's because she was so happy when she did it?"

Ignus looked at the snowman. "What?"

"Elsa told me when she built this castle, she was completely free, and just happy. And that was made her ice so strong and beautiful."

Ignus listened this time.

"So…then it can't be melted…" His face fell a bit.

Olaf shrugged. "Well…maybe if you were super relieved or happy, your fire would change too."

Ignus' forehead furrowed. "Hm…"

Olaf encouraged him. "Go on! Think of something that made you reeeeally happy! Or relieved. Or both!"

Ignus sighed. It was worth a shot.

He thought back hard. He remembered his first kiss with Elsa…that was definitely one of the happiest moments in his life.

But if he was honest…

He remembered when he was in the alley after he escaped from the burning building. He recalled how Elsa soothed him and removed his hood. He no longer was hidden. He had a face. He was human.

It was the biggest rush he had ever felt.

_That'll do._

Ignus let the experience fill his mind and body, remembering the feeling as he stepped out of the shadows for the first time in over a decade.

And he tentatively lit his fingers.

His eyes shot open wide as he saw that his fire was now a shining, golden color. It sparkled brightly as it danced at the end of his hand.

Olaf stared at it too, his mouth widening in a gasp. "Woooooooow! That's amazing!"

Ignus smiled at the snowman. "You said it."

He reached towards the ice. Before he even came close, he saw the ice begin to steam and melt away.

Ignus grinned. "Bingo."

Olaf's head almost bounced off his body. "It worked! You're a genius!"

Ignus looked at the snowman in confusion. "Uh…that was your idea, buddy."

Olaf seemed puzzled.

Ignus exhaled. "You are something else, you know that?"

Olaf giggled. "Oh, stop it, you."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Using his newfound fire, Ignus had created a concentrated flame that neatly cut off a cube of magical ice. It remained frozen, and Ignus was sure it would stay that way unless his own golden flames burnt through it.

As he and Olaf walked back down to the castle, Ignus had newfound patience for the scatter-brained snowman.

Upon reaching the castle, Ignus quickly hid the piece of ice before meeting Elsa to explain his whereabouts.

After kissing her goodnight, Ignus went to his personal room in the castle, picking up the ice on his way.

His room had been remodeled. It was now an orange-red color, and had bold designs on the walls. His sword and equipment were on a stand in the corner. Ignus couldn't help but notice that they were collecting dust.

_Certainly not a bad thing_, Ignus thought contentedly.

And under the disguise of the night, Ignus went to work on his gift.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Elsa had tried to plan something small for her birthday. While she was much more comfortable around others now, she still was a bit uncomfortable at large parties.

Unfortunately, it seemed like the entire kingdom wanted to wish her a Happy Birthday.

Throughout the entire day, person after person left her a present, a few of them suitors, who had given her lavish items, such as rare perfumes and jewels.

Ignus had not been amused.

As the last few citizens finally left the castle, Ignus walked up to her with two presents.

"Ignus…you really didn't have to get me two…" Elsa said, a bit overwhelmed.

Ignus looked at the presents and back at Elsa. "Uh…oh! No, no, these aren't from me. I mean, I have a present; it's just not these. These were sent from Anna and Kristoff."

"Oh." Elsa beamed as she opened the gifts.

Anna had nearly come back for her birthday, right in the middle of her honeymoon. Luckily, Elsa had convinced her that she'd have many more birthdays, but Anna would only have one honeymoon with Kristoff.

So, Anna and Kristoff had settled with sending Elsa an exquisite bouquet of flowers, and some fancy chocolate from Corona. Elsa was overjoyed.

"She's so sweet…" Elsa said, looking at her gifts.

Ignus smiled at her, trying not to look nervous.

He cleared his throat. "So, uh…I said I had a present for you…"

Elsa looked back at him, smiling. She had tried not to be expectant, yet she couldn't help but feel excited at what he may have gotten her.

Ignus walked up to her, his hands behind his back. Then he held out one of them, presenting Elsa's gift.

Elsa's hands shot to her mouth, her eyes shining.

Ignus had in his hand an absolutely gorgeous ice carving in the shape of a rose. She recognized it as her own ice, gleaming brilliantly. It looked as real as it could, and she noticed it seemed to be glowing from the inside.

"That was also me." Ignus said, picking up on her notice. "I threw in some special fire in there. It'll never go out. Thought it would make it look prettier." He said, rather sheepishly.

Elsa couldn't speak. Ice and fire, coexisting in a single object. It seemed impossible. And yet here it was.

Ignus was worried by her silence. "I mean, sorry about taking it out of the castle, it was the only place I could get the ice without you knowing."

Elsa looked up at him, a teary smile on her face. "I love it. I absolutely love it."

Ignus looked stunned for a second. Then he grinned back. He looked like he was ready to high-five someone.

Elsa rushed over to him and kissed him passionately, showing him how truly thankful she was.

Ignus opened his eyes a bit and saw Olaf in the hall, waving at him and winking. Ignus winked back.

Totally worth it.

**End Extra Chapter**

**Coming Soon…**

**Legends are reawakened.**

**A new enemy will rise.**

**Ice will freeze over fire.**

**Love will be tested beyond measure.**

**Ignus and the cast of Frozen will return in…**

**INITIUM MAGICA**


End file.
